jen_renee
New member
See? We're pretty awesome
No, honey. No. We need to get out more..haha!
...and I'm looking forward to cheat night too!!!!!!!
ChefChiTown's Rebirth: I'm Back, BABY!!! (In More Ways Than One)...
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No, honey. No. We need to get out more..haha!
...and I'm looking forward to cheat night too!!!!!!!
ChefChiTown
New member
So, when I restarted my journey, I told myself if I was down to 240 lbs by today I would take a cheat night and then a full cheat day tomorrow. Well, guess what? 240!!! YEEEEEEEAH!!! I'm down 16 lbs since I've gotten back on track and I couldn't be happier. Well, I mean, I COULD be happier...but that would involve a lot of money, chocolate ice cream, free beer and lingerie. Not for me, for...eh, nevermind. ANYWHO...I'm PUMPED!!! So, I'm celebrating by having some beers tonight and wasting my life away in video game land; something I haven't done in almost a month.
I'm sure Jen is thriiiiilled about it too, HAHAHAHA. Sorry, honey.
No, no, no...if we got out more, then we wouldn't be so good at that game. So, we need to go out LESS. Then, we'd be unstoppable. Yeeeeeah, unstoppable.
I'm sure Jen is thriiiiilled about it too, HAHAHAHA. Sorry, honey.
No, honey. No. We need to get out more..haha!
...and I'm looking forward to cheat night too!!!!!!!
No, no, no...if we got out more, then we wouldn't be so good at that game. So, we need to go out LESS. Then, we'd be unstoppable. Yeeeeeah, unstoppable.
Sunflower2
New member
That's great dude! Well done. What sorta stuff you guys been eating whilst on plan? You got plans for your cheat night, food wise? Give me something to drool over!
ChefChiTown
New member
I've been doing the whole low-carb thing. I just cut out breads, pasta, sugars...you know, the obvious choices. I haven't cut out carbs completely; I just make sure almost all the carbs I get are from fruits and vegetables. Since I cut out sugar, I don't drink pop anymore. I drink mostly water, but I also have diet pop and Crystal Light lemonade. As far as food choices, I've been eating a lot of proteins and vegetables. Things like steak, chicken, fish, turkey burger patties, broccoli and green beans make up most of my consumption. I also eat salads a lot, often with cheese, hard cooked eggs, tuna or another protein mixed in.
I've found it helpful to also find low-carb versions of food I like; it helps cut down on the cravings. For instance, instead of eating pizza with a crust on it, I just stuff portabella mushrooms with my favorite pizza toppings (sausage, green pepper, onion) and make a roasted red pepper pizza sauce instead of using tomatoes, which have a decent amount of carbs. It's not exactly like pizza, but it tastes really good and keeps me from going insane.
Oh, and cheat night? God, where do I begin? HAHHAHAHA...we started the morning with French Toast and bacon, I made Monkey Bread and we snacked on that all day, then we had Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo for dinner. Dessert was Chocolate Chunk Brownies. And, beer. Lots of beer, mmm.
Sunflower2
New member
Monkey bread? What on earth is monkey bread? And you Yanks think Ryvitas sound weird.
Sounds amazing--hope your stomachs not hating you this morning
Sounds amazing--hope your stomachs not hating you this morning
ChefChiTown
New member
Monkey bread? What on earth is monkey bread? And you Yanks think Ryvitas sound weird.
Sounds amazing--hope your stomachs not hating you this morning
HAHAHA, Monkey Bread is as follows...
You take biscuit dough, cut it into about 1-inch pieces. Put cinnamon and sugar into a bag. Drop the pieces of biscuit dough into the bag and shake it until each piece is coated with cinnamon and sugar. Put it into a baking pan. Melt butter and mix in brown sugar. Pour that over the biscuit dough and bake until it's done. Monkey Bread.
ChefChiTown
New member
So, I've been sleeping like shit lately and I don't know why. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with pretty severe sleep apnea. For those of you who don't know, sleep apnea is a condition some people have which makes it so their brain doesn't receive oxygen while they sleep. My case is considered severe because my airway is so obstructed when I sleep that, without proper medical equipment, I NEVER reach REM sleep. Without REM sleep, a person will never truly heal, regenerate energy or become refreshed in any way, shape or form. Basically, before I went in for a series of tests last year, my body and mind suffered greatly from lack of actual sleep.
Once I went through testing (sleep studies, visits to a neurologist, etc) and it was determined I had sleep apnea, I was given a CPAP mask. A CPAP mask is a type of oxygen mask of sorts. It doesn't pump oxygen into your airway (as it is not connected to an oxygen tank), but it operates in a similar manner - the machine pumps air through the tubing in your mask directly into your airway. In a sense, it forces air into your mouth (or nose, depending on what type of mask you have) and pressurizes your airway so it stays open while you sleep. With the mask, I can sleep - and, more importantly, my body can refresh itself.
Now, before I had the mask, I was an absolute disaster. I had HORRIBLE sleep walking habits. I would almost always wake up to a buffet of food sitting on the kitchen counter - none of which I would ever recall making - none of which I would ever eat. I would go to the trouble of making it in my sleep (like good ass meals too - chicken alfredo, pizzas, nice looking salads), but I would NEVER eat it. I would also wake up to random things being done around the house - laundry or whatever. And, I would CONSTANTLY text Jen in the middle of the night and hold conversations with her, NONE of which I would ever remember. My memory was almost non-existent - I had a near impossible time remembering the hours leading up to my going to bed (I couldn't remember what TV shows I watched, if I talked to anybody, nothing). It was fucking scary. My body also suffered - I gained a bunch of weight, I was exhausted all the time, I was in pain, I was uncomfortable, I was just a physical wreck. My mind suffered as well - I was moody, I was constantly aggravated, I snapped at people because my patience was non-existent, I had no care for anything in the world.
Having the mask rid me of all that. Until recently for some reason.
I don't know why, but for the past week or so, my CPAP mask isn't really doing the trick anymore. I'm beginning to wonder if my weight loss has anything to do with that. When people are heavy (like myself), apnea is more common because there is more weight on the body that can constrict a person's airway. When those people lose weight, a lot of people rid themselves of their apnea because their airway opens up due to the loss of weight. But, umm...that's not happening for me. It seems to be getting worse.
Is it the rapid weight loss making me more tired or is it that my CPAP therapy is no longer working? Is it my diet that's causing these negative changes in my sleep habit or is it my equipment? I don't know. But, it's irritating. Almost every single night, I find myself not sleeping as well as I used to when I first got the mask. I don't know if maybe I'm down to a weight where my mask doesn't really make THAT much of a difference anymore, and I just need to be patient and wait for my weight to keep dropping. I don't know. But, like I said, it's irritating.
I can feel myself "sleeping," but when I wake up I'm having that same horrible feeling I used to have before I got my CPAP mask. I could "sleep" for hours, but I would always wake up feeling like I only took a 5 minute nap. And, that's exactly how I'm feeling again. I hate it. It's hard to get through my day constantly battling exhaustion, but it's even harder to not let it get to me mentally or emotionally. It's also hard - VERY hard - to not eat like shit. I did really good for the past 3 weeks (not having cheat days, staying on track, exercising, staying motivated, etc), but, at this moment right now, I'm in no mood for it all - I just don't care - I just don't have motivation or energy to give a shit about what I eat and I certainly don't have the energy to work out.
I'm not writing this week off, but I'm certainly not optimistic about how much weight I'll lose, if any. I'm just being realistic with my situation and accepting the fact that I'm not going to do so hot with my next weigh-in. And, I'm not making excuses - although it certainly seems like it, HAHAHA - I'm just a realist and can accept the reality of what to expect from myself. And, this week? I'm not expecting much.
Once I went through testing (sleep studies, visits to a neurologist, etc) and it was determined I had sleep apnea, I was given a CPAP mask. A CPAP mask is a type of oxygen mask of sorts. It doesn't pump oxygen into your airway (as it is not connected to an oxygen tank), but it operates in a similar manner - the machine pumps air through the tubing in your mask directly into your airway. In a sense, it forces air into your mouth (or nose, depending on what type of mask you have) and pressurizes your airway so it stays open while you sleep. With the mask, I can sleep - and, more importantly, my body can refresh itself.
Now, before I had the mask, I was an absolute disaster. I had HORRIBLE sleep walking habits. I would almost always wake up to a buffet of food sitting on the kitchen counter - none of which I would ever recall making - none of which I would ever eat. I would go to the trouble of making it in my sleep (like good ass meals too - chicken alfredo, pizzas, nice looking salads), but I would NEVER eat it. I would also wake up to random things being done around the house - laundry or whatever. And, I would CONSTANTLY text Jen in the middle of the night and hold conversations with her, NONE of which I would ever remember. My memory was almost non-existent - I had a near impossible time remembering the hours leading up to my going to bed (I couldn't remember what TV shows I watched, if I talked to anybody, nothing). It was fucking scary. My body also suffered - I gained a bunch of weight, I was exhausted all the time, I was in pain, I was uncomfortable, I was just a physical wreck. My mind suffered as well - I was moody, I was constantly aggravated, I snapped at people because my patience was non-existent, I had no care for anything in the world.
Having the mask rid me of all that. Until recently for some reason.
I don't know why, but for the past week or so, my CPAP mask isn't really doing the trick anymore. I'm beginning to wonder if my weight loss has anything to do with that. When people are heavy (like myself), apnea is more common because there is more weight on the body that can constrict a person's airway. When those people lose weight, a lot of people rid themselves of their apnea because their airway opens up due to the loss of weight. But, umm...that's not happening for me. It seems to be getting worse.
Is it the rapid weight loss making me more tired or is it that my CPAP therapy is no longer working? Is it my diet that's causing these negative changes in my sleep habit or is it my equipment? I don't know. But, it's irritating. Almost every single night, I find myself not sleeping as well as I used to when I first got the mask. I don't know if maybe I'm down to a weight where my mask doesn't really make THAT much of a difference anymore, and I just need to be patient and wait for my weight to keep dropping. I don't know. But, like I said, it's irritating.
I can feel myself "sleeping," but when I wake up I'm having that same horrible feeling I used to have before I got my CPAP mask. I could "sleep" for hours, but I would always wake up feeling like I only took a 5 minute nap. And, that's exactly how I'm feeling again. I hate it. It's hard to get through my day constantly battling exhaustion, but it's even harder to not let it get to me mentally or emotionally. It's also hard - VERY hard - to not eat like shit. I did really good for the past 3 weeks (not having cheat days, staying on track, exercising, staying motivated, etc), but, at this moment right now, I'm in no mood for it all - I just don't care - I just don't have motivation or energy to give a shit about what I eat and I certainly don't have the energy to work out.
I'm not writing this week off, but I'm certainly not optimistic about how much weight I'll lose, if any. I'm just being realistic with my situation and accepting the fact that I'm not going to do so hot with my next weigh-in. And, I'm not making excuses - although it certainly seems like it, HAHAHA - I'm just a realist and can accept the reality of what to expect from myself. And, this week? I'm not expecting much.
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Quercus
New member
You've made a lot of changes rather rapidly and that has to be disruptive in some way. I would suggest doing the best that you can manage with diet and exercise and making an appointment with your Dr. if it persists. I would check to see that your caloric deficit isn't too severe as well. If I cut my calories too much I feel tired, weak, and grumpy for sure. If you couple that with your apnea (even treated) would guess it could amplify feeling poorly.
I've used this in the past, but I must admit that I have my calories set lower than it predicts for me now. Then again I haven't been counting calories lately, just keeping my diet pretty strict.
I've used this in the past, but I must admit that I have my calories set lower than it predicts for me now. Then again I haven't been counting calories lately, just keeping my diet pretty strict.
icychic
New member
Your cheat night sounds AMAZING! And that Monkey Bread? DAMN! 
Sorry to hear the sleep apnea appears to be acting up again. I think Q makes a good suggestion though. Make sure you aren't eating too little, or not enough of the vitamins you need. And if that doesn't seem to be the issue, make an appt with the Dr. and see what they suggest. Perhaps something is up with your CPAP?
Sorry to hear the sleep apnea appears to be acting up again. I think Q makes a good suggestion though. Make sure you aren't eating too little, or not enough of the vitamins you need. And if that doesn't seem to be the issue, make an appt with the Dr. and see what they suggest. Perhaps something is up with your CPAP?
ChefChiTown
New member
Ok, so there was a lot going on this past week, most of which got me a little off track with my weight loss goals. A friend of mine at work died (I work as a chef at an Assisted Living building and one of the residents passed away - I considered her a friend, as we got close during the past few years), my sleep has been sub par as of late, other personal issues took over my concentration, blah blah blah...
Anyway, I'm putting all of that behind me. Today, Jen and I are rebooted and our asses are back in gear - which is where they need to be. It's weird though - even though I was only off track for just a few days, it seems like I've been off track forever. But, I guess that's a good thing, right? I'm taking it as a sign that my mind is beginning to feel more comfortable focusing on a healthy lifestyle. Before, if I ate like shit for a week, my mentality would be, "What's the big deal? It was only a week." But, now, my mentality is, "FUCK, man...I ate like shit for a WEEK!!! How HORRIBLE!!!" It's sort of weird to notice that about myself, but it makes me happy.
Another thing - during the past week, I noticed something very important about my current journey towards a new and healthier me (one that has a sweet, cray-cray bod that makes people like super jealy)...
The low-carb thing? Yeah, it works...but it also sucks a huge weiner. I was on the low-carb diet for 18 days and lost 16 pounds. Awesome, right? NO!!! WRONG!!! Yeah, I lost a ton of weight in a short period of time and yeah, my body fat was dropping like panties at a One Direction concert (I mean, come on...Harry? Are you kidding me? Dude moistens my undies like I took a bath in 'em. What? What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, fat and stuff...), but I felt TERRIBLE.
I was constantly hungry, I was exhausted nearly 24 hours a day and, the worst of it all, my umm...let's just call it my "digestive functionality," seemed to come to a screeching halt. Seriously, once a week. That's all I went...ONCE...a WEEK. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
Anyway, I decided that, even though my physical results were pleasant, the overall way I felt on the low-carb diet was just too miserable for me to continue down that road. Instead, I will just be watching my caloric intake and doing my best to avoid eating TOO MUCH of the bad things. Yeah, I'll have pasta and pizza and junk, but not every day and not multiple times a week. Maybe once or twice a week I'll indulge in some ravioli or shovel a few pieces of bread into the feeding machine I call my face. But, I'm not going to make carbohydrates a staple in my diet. I won't eliminate them - I'll just control the amount of them I let inside of me (insert your own sexual innuendo here - ha, "insert")
So, that all starts today. I'm back on track and I'm ready to get back at it. OH, Pilates works. Even after only like 4 15-minute sessions, I could feel a big difference. I mean, I didn't get like super buff and get those little diagonal lines under by abs or anything (you know...YOU know...the lines? The little things...THE LINES!!! SIGH, here...)
View attachment 21687
(...yeah, THOSE things...the David Beckham things)
...but I could definitely feel a difference in my core. So, I'm going to keep on doing that. Yeah, it's hard, but I like the way it makes me feel (that's what she said :drum roll: ).
:drops mic and walks off stage:
Anyway, I'm putting all of that behind me. Today, Jen and I are rebooted and our asses are back in gear - which is where they need to be. It's weird though - even though I was only off track for just a few days, it seems like I've been off track forever. But, I guess that's a good thing, right? I'm taking it as a sign that my mind is beginning to feel more comfortable focusing on a healthy lifestyle. Before, if I ate like shit for a week, my mentality would be, "What's the big deal? It was only a week." But, now, my mentality is, "FUCK, man...I ate like shit for a WEEK!!! How HORRIBLE!!!" It's sort of weird to notice that about myself, but it makes me happy.
Another thing - during the past week, I noticed something very important about my current journey towards a new and healthier me (one that has a sweet, cray-cray bod that makes people like super jealy)...
The low-carb thing? Yeah, it works...but it also sucks a huge weiner. I was on the low-carb diet for 18 days and lost 16 pounds. Awesome, right? NO!!! WRONG!!! Yeah, I lost a ton of weight in a short period of time and yeah, my body fat was dropping like panties at a One Direction concert (I mean, come on...Harry? Are you kidding me? Dude moistens my undies like I took a bath in 'em. What? What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, fat and stuff...), but I felt TERRIBLE.
I was constantly hungry, I was exhausted nearly 24 hours a day and, the worst of it all, my umm...let's just call it my "digestive functionality," seemed to come to a screeching halt. Seriously, once a week. That's all I went...ONCE...a WEEK. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
Anyway, I decided that, even though my physical results were pleasant, the overall way I felt on the low-carb diet was just too miserable for me to continue down that road. Instead, I will just be watching my caloric intake and doing my best to avoid eating TOO MUCH of the bad things. Yeah, I'll have pasta and pizza and junk, but not every day and not multiple times a week. Maybe once or twice a week I'll indulge in some ravioli or shovel a few pieces of bread into the feeding machine I call my face. But, I'm not going to make carbohydrates a staple in my diet. I won't eliminate them - I'll just control the amount of them I let inside of me (insert your own sexual innuendo here - ha, "insert")
So, that all starts today. I'm back on track and I'm ready to get back at it. OH, Pilates works. Even after only like 4 15-minute sessions, I could feel a big difference. I mean, I didn't get like super buff and get those little diagonal lines under by abs or anything (you know...YOU know...the lines? The little things...THE LINES!!! SIGH, here...)
View attachment 21687
(...yeah, THOSE things...the David Beckham things)
...but I could definitely feel a difference in my core. So, I'm going to keep on doing that. Yeah, it's hard, but I like the way it makes me feel (that's what she said :drum roll: ).
:drops mic and walks off stage:
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ChefChiTown
New member
I always listen to my MP3 player when I get on the treadmill; without it, I would go insane. God, can you imagine...nothing to drown out the noise of the treadmill, having to listen to the painful buzzing of the belt as it spins and spins, hearing every clank and clunk as your feet pound on the track? IN...SANE. Anyway, I always set my MP3 player to play random songs - even though I always skip like every third song for some stupid reason - and sometimes a song pops up that I haven't heard in a while - sometimes I'm like, "OH DUDE, I totally forgot about this song!" (Dusty Springfield - I Only Want To Be With You, YEAH!!!) and other times I'm like, "Why in the hell do I have THIS song in my collection?" (Britney Spears - Till The World Ends???) Well, today I was reminded of a song that I haven't heard in a while...a song that hits home, especially during this point in my life and, more specifically, my weight loss journey.
[video=youtube;juybqO-iS1I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juybqO-iS1I[/video]
To me, this song is about letting go of a former life - the "old you" - and moving forward, onto a new beginning with the "new you." I'm glad this song came on today because I was in dire need of a reminder; a reminder that I'm letting go of the way things used to be and grasping for dear life, attempting to hold onto the escape pod of motivation that was sent to deliver me from the unhealthy life which I have been living for the past umpteen years.
I'm no longer going to look back. The sunlight of a new dawn is in front of me, which means my shadow lies behind me. To that shadow, I will no longer turn. I will no longer look back and dwell on the shadow of myself in which I have been living for the past number of years. Instead, I will keep my vision set on the breaking dawn ahead of me; the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, which is burning with such intensity the ground on which I walk is aflame with hope.
In Flames - My Sweet Shadow
Fueled, these new shores burn
Dark past lies cold
Shadow, my sweet shadow
To you, I look no more
[video=youtube;juybqO-iS1I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juybqO-iS1I[/video]
To me, this song is about letting go of a former life - the "old you" - and moving forward, onto a new beginning with the "new you." I'm glad this song came on today because I was in dire need of a reminder; a reminder that I'm letting go of the way things used to be and grasping for dear life, attempting to hold onto the escape pod of motivation that was sent to deliver me from the unhealthy life which I have been living for the past umpteen years.
I'm no longer going to look back. The sunlight of a new dawn is in front of me, which means my shadow lies behind me. To that shadow, I will no longer turn. I will no longer look back and dwell on the shadow of myself in which I have been living for the past number of years. Instead, I will keep my vision set on the breaking dawn ahead of me; the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, which is burning with such intensity the ground on which I walk is aflame with hope.
In Flames - My Sweet Shadow
Fueled, these new shores burn
Dark past lies cold
Shadow, my sweet shadow
To you, I look no more
ChefChiTown
New member
Ok, the whole day is done (almost) and I've stayed on track with my food and I've consumed nothing but water (liquid-wise). It's not a huge step, but it's a good start to the week, I think.
gasman
New member
Keep it up bud. I've never had any luck with avoiding things like carbs, and my wife, the registered dietitian, is a big proponent of eating what you want, in moderation. I've been somewhat successful just tracking calories and staying under budget.
I also found that drinking ridiculous amounts of water (100oz + per day) did a lot to make me feel better, and crush cravings. I have been using mio in my water. Chrstal light also makes a version, it's essentially liquid flavouring for water exactly like the powdered chrystal light, except you don't even need to stir it, and there are no clumps of powder in your glass. I'm lazy that way, so I love the Mio.
ChefChiTown
New member
Ok, so no official weigh-in yet, but I took a peek at the scale this morning and I'm down a little over 2 lbs from where I was on Monday morning. That makes me pretty happy. What makes me more happy though is seeing Jen finally hit her stride. We started eating a gluten-free diet on Monday (to hopefully help with some of her physical issues) and I'm really proud of how she's diving into it. She went to the store the other day, bought a bunch of gluten-free stuff, stopped at a different health food store, bought some more gluten-free things. She's also been going to the gym with her friend which is something I thought I'd never witness...HAHAHA,,,sorry, honey 
Anyway, I'm supporting her and doing it with her. I mean, I can't possibly bring myself to be a dick about it and have her be sitting there eating gluten-free pasta and breads while I'm sitting next to her stuffing mounds of greasy ass pizza and shit in my mouth, like, "DEAL WITH IT, NERD...NUM NUM NUM!!!" HAHAHA, can you imagine how quickly I'd become single? ANYWHO...not only is doing the gluten-free thing helping us get healthier (as it is possibly helping with her physical issues, which makes me ECSTATIC), but it's also helping us bond in a cool kind of way. When we were doing Pilates together and using the treadmill here at home, it was a nice bonding experience to have with her - working together to get healthy is something we never really did as a couple, so it was nice to be doing that stuff...TOGETHER. And, that's how it is with the gluten-free stuff...it's nice to be doing it together. I don't know, it's kind of cool.
Oh, here's something random. So, I'm a chef at an Assisted Living building and, although the people I feed are mostly in their 80's and 90's, they like to eat some pretty adventurous food sometimes. Sure, we stick with the basics, like meatloaf, fried chicken, blah blah blah...but we also throw in some fancier stuff too every once in a while. Well, it's nothing super fancy, but last night we had Cinnamon Sugar Twists on the menu for the night-time dessert - you make puff pastry, cut it into strips, twist the strips to make a "curl" or "twist" (duh), brush them with melted butter, dust them with cinnamon and sugar, bake in a 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes, and they're done (we make almost everything ourselves, homemade).
WELL, I put 4 pans of Cinnamon Sugar Twists in the oven and turned on the timer. A few minutes later, I pulled them all out. Well, ALMOST all of them...I accidentally left one in the oven. And, I didn't realize it until a good hour and half later. What did they end up looking like, you ask? Oh, they looked like shit...literally...they looked like shit...
View attachment 21700
I just started using one of those little Crystal Light squeeze bottle thingie (like Mio) this week and I like it. I haven't been using it a lot, but I use it when I need to satisfy my "sweet" craving. I've only tried the Iced Tea flavor, but I'll probably pick a few more up at the grocery store this weekend.
But, yeah...drinking a lot of water helps. Probably 99% of the liquid I've drank this week has been water. I've been trying to drink as much as possible (within reason, obviously) and it seems to help keep me full feeling as well as well-hydrated. I have a little bit of the Crystal Light stuff every once in a while, but I mostly stick to water. I also notice that my head doesn't hurt as bad (I suffer from constant headaches and random migraines), so I'm liking that as well. But, that could also be from the whole gluten-free thing that Jen and I are doing. Eh, who knows...as long as it makes me feel better, HAHAHA
Anyway, I'm supporting her and doing it with her. I mean, I can't possibly bring myself to be a dick about it and have her be sitting there eating gluten-free pasta and breads while I'm sitting next to her stuffing mounds of greasy ass pizza and shit in my mouth, like, "DEAL WITH IT, NERD...NUM NUM NUM!!!" HAHAHA, can you imagine how quickly I'd become single? ANYWHO...not only is doing the gluten-free thing helping us get healthier (as it is possibly helping with her physical issues, which makes me ECSTATIC), but it's also helping us bond in a cool kind of way. When we were doing Pilates together and using the treadmill here at home, it was a nice bonding experience to have with her - working together to get healthy is something we never really did as a couple, so it was nice to be doing that stuff...TOGETHER. And, that's how it is with the gluten-free stuff...it's nice to be doing it together. I don't know, it's kind of cool.
Oh, here's something random. So, I'm a chef at an Assisted Living building and, although the people I feed are mostly in their 80's and 90's, they like to eat some pretty adventurous food sometimes. Sure, we stick with the basics, like meatloaf, fried chicken, blah blah blah...but we also throw in some fancier stuff too every once in a while. Well, it's nothing super fancy, but last night we had Cinnamon Sugar Twists on the menu for the night-time dessert - you make puff pastry, cut it into strips, twist the strips to make a "curl" or "twist" (duh), brush them with melted butter, dust them with cinnamon and sugar, bake in a 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes, and they're done (we make almost everything ourselves, homemade).
WELL, I put 4 pans of Cinnamon Sugar Twists in the oven and turned on the timer. A few minutes later, I pulled them all out. Well, ALMOST all of them...I accidentally left one in the oven. And, I didn't realize it until a good hour and half later. What did they end up looking like, you ask? Oh, they looked like shit...literally...they looked like shit...
View attachment 21700
I just started using one of those little Crystal Light squeeze bottle thingie (like Mio) this week and I like it. I haven't been using it a lot, but I use it when I need to satisfy my "sweet" craving. I've only tried the Iced Tea flavor, but I'll probably pick a few more up at the grocery store this weekend.
But, yeah...drinking a lot of water helps. Probably 99% of the liquid I've drank this week has been water. I've been trying to drink as much as possible (within reason, obviously) and it seems to help keep me full feeling as well as well-hydrated. I have a little bit of the Crystal Light stuff every once in a while, but I mostly stick to water. I also notice that my head doesn't hurt as bad (I suffer from constant headaches and random migraines), so I'm liking that as well. But, that could also be from the whole gluten-free thing that Jen and I are doing. Eh, who knows...as long as it makes me feel better, HAHAHA
jen_renee
New member
ChefChiTown
New member
Weigh-in Day: 245.8 lbs
I'm down from almost 250 lbs, which is what I weighed one week ago. This week, I owe my drop in weight to a few things...
1) I watched my caloric intake and didn't let it get out of hand.
2) Jen and I have been doing the gluten-free thing since Monday which, by default, has cut out a lot of unhealthy food options.
3) I have drank mostly all water with the exception of a few bottles of zero calorie Crystal Light flavored water. No pop, no juice, no empty calories.
4) I was active. I didn't get a ton of exercise in this week, true, but at least I got SOME.
And, I'll be getting more exercise in today. Jen is taking me to the gym she has been going to so I can check it out. I get a discount on a membership there for being an employee of the local hospital, so if I like the gym I'm going to see about getting a membership myself.
Anyway, I've been up and down with my weight during the past few weeks, but I'm not upset by it. In all reality, I've actually done pretty good. Around Halloween of this past year (so about 4 months ago), I weighed 268 lbs. And, today, I weigh 23 lbs less than that. So, even though I've had my ups and downs, I look at that as a pretty good accomplishment (especially when I've taken a few epic weeks off between then and now - and I mean EPIC).
So, what am I going to be doing today? Well, Jen and I are going shopping for our son's birthday gift (he's turning 7 next week). And, since we'll be out and about, we're going to head to a few different stores to check out their gluten-free food options. We live in a small town - and I mean SMALL, I'm talking my-high-school-had-more-students-than-this-town-has-people small - so our options are somewhat limited. Yeah, we have gluten-free options here, but we want to check out what's North of The Wall (Game of Thrones reference. Oh my God, how GOOD is that show? I mean, seriously? And, the books? Even better!!! I'M A NERD!!!)...umm...I was talking about something...hmm...oh...when we're in the "big city" (which isn't even that big, it's just big by comparison), we're going to check out some gluten-free stuff. And, we'll grab some lunch. Something small and healthy. We're going to the gym after we get back, so we don't want to stuff ourselves. Then, after the gym, we'll have some dinner and then spend the rest of the night relaxing here at home. Maybe watch the Olympics, I don't know. I'll probably be so tired from the gym I won't care what happens, because I'll be too sore and exhausted to really give a shit, HAHAHA.
Ok, time to get ready. I will leave you with this: a Frog Dog...
View attachment 21702
Turd Curl? That...that's kiiiiind of a good name for it, HAHAHA
I'm down from almost 250 lbs, which is what I weighed one week ago. This week, I owe my drop in weight to a few things...
1) I watched my caloric intake and didn't let it get out of hand.
2) Jen and I have been doing the gluten-free thing since Monday which, by default, has cut out a lot of unhealthy food options.
3) I have drank mostly all water with the exception of a few bottles of zero calorie Crystal Light flavored water. No pop, no juice, no empty calories.
4) I was active. I didn't get a ton of exercise in this week, true, but at least I got SOME.
And, I'll be getting more exercise in today. Jen is taking me to the gym she has been going to so I can check it out. I get a discount on a membership there for being an employee of the local hospital, so if I like the gym I'm going to see about getting a membership myself.
Anyway, I've been up and down with my weight during the past few weeks, but I'm not upset by it. In all reality, I've actually done pretty good. Around Halloween of this past year (so about 4 months ago), I weighed 268 lbs. And, today, I weigh 23 lbs less than that. So, even though I've had my ups and downs, I look at that as a pretty good accomplishment (especially when I've taken a few epic weeks off between then and now - and I mean EPIC).
So, what am I going to be doing today? Well, Jen and I are going shopping for our son's birthday gift (he's turning 7 next week). And, since we'll be out and about, we're going to head to a few different stores to check out their gluten-free food options. We live in a small town - and I mean SMALL, I'm talking my-high-school-had-more-students-than-this-town-has-people small - so our options are somewhat limited. Yeah, we have gluten-free options here, but we want to check out what's North of The Wall (Game of Thrones reference. Oh my God, how GOOD is that show? I mean, seriously? And, the books? Even better!!! I'M A NERD!!!)...umm...I was talking about something...hmm...oh...when we're in the "big city" (which isn't even that big, it's just big by comparison), we're going to check out some gluten-free stuff. And, we'll grab some lunch. Something small and healthy. We're going to the gym after we get back, so we don't want to stuff ourselves. Then, after the gym, we'll have some dinner and then spend the rest of the night relaxing here at home. Maybe watch the Olympics, I don't know. I'll probably be so tired from the gym I won't care what happens, because I'll be too sore and exhausted to really give a shit, HAHAHA.
Ok, time to get ready. I will leave you with this: a Frog Dog...
View attachment 21702
Awwww... you're sweet, honey.
Also... your turd curl is disgusting. haha!
Turd Curl? That...that's kiiiiind of a good name for it, HAHAHA
ChefChiTown
New member
Well, we just got back from our little adventure and I have to say...my legs...are...tiiiiired. At the gym, I got a little gung-ho with the weights, especially on the leg press machine. See, when I was in high school (yeah, one of "those" stories), I was a really good athlete and, during football practice, I would often use a machine called "The Bear." "The Bear" was an inclined squat machine which was my favorite. I had really strong legs because I played catcher in baseball, so using "The Bear" was always somewhat easy for me, as I could push out a lot of weight using the tree trunks that were my legs. Now, during those days, I could squat around 500 lbs. Yeah, gross. WELL, here I am, 14 years post-athlete-days and I'm in the gym like, "...I could still do that. I got this shit!!!" I rack up 270 lbs on the leg press machine...seems easy. I bump it up a little...still easy. "Let's go for 400 lbs," I say to myself...holy...fucking...shit. I did it, but...holy...fucking...shit. My legs are SOOOOO sore from it. Not to mention, I was an idiot and put in like 7 or 8 miles on the bike machine in a half hour like a stupid moron. THEN, I have to go walk around stores all afternoon (because we ended up going to the gym first - so I lied earlier)? Oh my God, are my legs tired? Yes. Yes, they are.
But, all in all, I feel pretty good. I think I'm going to end up getting a membership to the gym and working out there 2-3 times a week. I can see myself enjoying it there and using it to my advantage to get back in shape. So, hopefully that works out.
But, all in all, I feel pretty good. I think I'm going to end up getting a membership to the gym and working out there 2-3 times a week. I can see myself enjoying it there and using it to my advantage to get back in shape. So, hopefully that works out.
ChefChiTown
New member
Just got done making some gluten-free bread dough. Now I'm just waiting for it to rise before I bake it. Hopefully it turns out good. I've only made bread like once or twice in my life. So, if it doesn't turn out, I'll just blame it on inexperience.
Anyway, I am SORE today. My legs are tight and the bottom side of my butt feels like someone punched the shit out of it last night. So, either I had a really good workout yesterday...or Jen has a looooot of explaining to do.
Anyway, I am SORE today. My legs are tight and the bottom side of my butt feels like someone punched the shit out of it last night. So, either I had a really good workout yesterday...or Jen has a looooot of explaining to do.
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