Scifres.com

I’ve been on a diet for several months now and when I travel it always presents a challenge in terms of having the proper discipline to eat light. Nothing like cold fish soup to help out a diet right? But seriously, this is simply the best Ceviche I have ever had. If you are ever in Ventura California take the Vista Del Mar exit and head towards the beach. In about 3 blocks you will find Dukes on your left. They make the worlds best Ceviche fresh each morning and it is to die for. You MUST try it!

For those of you with the Ceviche itch to create your own. You can find a pretty good Ceviche recipe on allrecipies.com.

Sorry for the blurry iPhone photography.

I need an iPhone upgrade.

I finally broke 180 lbs!! Never thought I would get there. New Goal – 175 by end of May.

End Weight: 179.6
Previous Weight: 181.8
Loss: -2.2 lbs
Net Loss: 30 lbs
BMI: 23.04
Percent of Goal: 100% Complete

New Goal – 175 by end of May. I hope by going down to 175 it will be easier to ratchet up my calorie intake and level out at 180. But first I have to break the 180 barrier which I intended to do in the next 2 weeks. Notice the spike and weight gain last week on Vacation, but mmmmmmmmmmmmmm was all that food good.

End Weight: 181.8
Previous Weight: 182.8
Loss: -1.0 lbs
Net Loss: 27.6 lbs
BMI: 23.34
Percent of Goal: 94% Complete

Back on Track. Goal was to be at 180 lbs. by the end of March. I’ll probably be short of that by 1 lb. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

End Weight: 182.8
Previous Weight: 185.8
Loss: -3.0 lbs
Net Loss: 26.6 lbs
BMI: 23.47
Percent of Goal: 90% Complete

Traveling again this week put the hurt on my weight loss. I had to estimate my weight for Friday based on my actual weight Saturday morning. This is the first time in 11 weeks I have regressed and gained weight. Yuck.

End Weight: 185.8
Previous Weight: 185.4
GAIN: +0.4 lbs
Net Loss: 23.6 lbs
BMI: 23.85
Percent of Goal: 80.3% Complete

It’s judgment day again and time to step up on the scales of truth.

Wow, things really slow down once you start getting close to your goal. I’m working harder and harder to get the weight loss each week. I’m convinced that working out while I am on a serious diet is causing me to gain muscle mass as I lose fat and therefore slowing the pace of my progress. This is probably a great thing but it is destroying the nice classically conditioned Pavlovian worm fuzzy I get when I lose 2+ pounds a week on Judgment day. Those weeks are clearly long gone. I thought I would hit my goal by the end of March and at this point I’m not sure that will be possible. I am however at the lowest weight I have been in 15 years and on the shortest, and last, belt loop on my oldest belt (if I don’t tuck in my shirt ). Progress!

End Weight: 185.4
Previous Weight: 186.4
Loss: 1.0 lbs
Net Loss: 24 lbs
BMI: 23.80
Percent of Goal: 81.6% Complete

End Weight: 186.4
Previous Weight: 187.8
Loss: 1.4 lbs
Net Loss: 23 lbs
BMI: 23.93
Percent of Goal: 78.2% Complete

I hate traveling and dieting. I spent the week in Ventura California and I have to say, it makes it almost impossible to lose weight. I did manage to take of 1 pound this week so I won’t complain but it wasn’t at all easy.

End Weight: 187.8
Previous Weight: 188.8
Loss: 1.0 lbs
Net Loss: 21.6 lbs
BMI: 24.11
Percent of Goal: 73.5% Complete

Alright, I just don’t understand weight loss at all. I busted my *** this week with exercise which reduced my Net Cals substantially. AND I ate poorly just one day. I started lifting more so perhaps that has come into play or maybe the effort required to reach your goal just grows in magnitude the closer you get to it. Ugh.

End Weight: 188.8
Previous Weight: 189.4
Loss: .6 lbs
Net Loss: 20.6 lbs
BMI: 24.24
Percent of Goal: 70% Complete

Brining the chicken is a MUST because it seems to help make the chicken juicier. To brine, first mix 4 cups of cold water with ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Wash and put the boneless, skinless chicken strips in a gallon size zip-lock bag and pour the brine mixture in the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Now, it is time to make the marinade.

Marinade ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Juice from one lemon or lime (whichever you prefer – mixing both is tasty too)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 8 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup of Heinz 57 sauce
• 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup A-1 Marinade
• Tabasco to taste
• 4 tsp flaked red pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Remove the chicken strips from the brine and rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Submerge the chicken strips in the marinade (you can use a Tupperware type bowl with a lid, a zip-lock bag or for best results a Vacuvin Marinater) and refrigerate a minimum of 4 to 6 hours. Please note it is best to let them soak overnight. You should set aside some of the marinade to baste the chicken breasts when cooking. Remove and grill. And that’s pretty much it. Good luck!

Alright, I “boom” kicked it up a notch. I did cardio three times this week, played basketball and worked out 3 times. Oh, and sit-ups every day.  I broke the 190 barrier. 9.4 pounds to go!! Exercise really does make a big difference.

End Weight: 189.4
Previous Weight: 192
Loss: 2.6 lbs
Net Loss: 20 lbs
BMI: 24.31
Percent of Goal: 68% Complete

Well, my diet has obviously taken a serious turn. I have resorted to trying low calorie beers. I don’t really understand why flavor seems to be tied directly to calories. I wish somebody could explain that. Why is it that Jello brands can make tasty and flavorful Dulce de Leche pudding-y goodness in a 60 calorie treat, and both Budweiser and Miller failed to deliver the flavor. I want micro brew flavor in a low calorie package. I’d give Select 55 the edge after trying both.

Lots of long working days eating Arnold’s Wheat Thins, Deli Fresh Turkey and Cheese slices during meetings . . . every day. Ummmmm. I know you are envious reading about it. Ugh, I’m so tired of having no beaks for lunch. But on the upside, at least it is contributing to my weight loss. Another big assistant has been Progresso Lite Soups and the Foreman Grill. I’m going to post the World’s BEST Homemade marinade. Highly recommend it. It’s off to cheat night tonight with my favorite Mexican food. And, oh by the way, notice I am at a new low surpassing my previous low on the last diet. I’m targeting 190 next week.

End Weight: 192.0
Previous Weight: 194.8
Loss: 2.8 lbs
Net Loss: 17.4 lbs
BMI: 24.65
Percent of Goal: 59% Complete

BMI Continues to fall with the weight. I was only able to exercise and lift weights once each this week. Bad me. I’ve got to find a way to get at least 3-4 each in the next week.

I did it, I actually traveled and managed to be vigilant enough to lose weight instead of gaining it. Yea for me!

As a matter of fact, today I weighed in at 194.4 lbs. I had to estimate yesterdays weight in order to produce my week 4 results. It was probably around 194.8. I couldn’t weight myself because I was too busy spending all my time at airports in a 35 hour attempt to get from LA to Bowling Green. To top it off, I had almost no exercise this week. Imagine what I could have done if had been able to do my standard regiment. At 194.4, that also puts me at a major milestone on my way to my desired weight of 180 lbs – I JUST PAST THE HALF WAY MARK! I AM 51%  TO MY GOAL as I write this.

End Weight: 194.8
Previous Weight: 196.2
Loss: 1.6 lbs
Net Loss: 14.6 lbs
BMI: 24.96

My BMI is starting to get into a decent range as well. A BMI of 25 or over is considered overweight. My BMI moved below 25 for the first time in years yesterday. I’d like to see it around 23 or so but we’ll see how it goes.

Well, as it turns out, weight loss (like presidenting) is hard. I’m kind of disappointed that I didn’t lose more this week, but I know I did really well. I wanted to be around 195 but at least I didn’t go up. If I can just lose 2 lbs. a week, I’ll hit my goal by the end March easily. Next week will be tough since I’ll be traveling and we all know traveling and weight loss don’t mix.

End Weight: 196.2
Previous Weight: 198.8
Loss: 2.6 lbs
Net Loss: 13.2 lbs

End Weight: 198.8
Previous Weight: 203.4
Loss: 4.6 lbs
Net Loss: 10.6 lbs

(Nutrition facts for one pre packed cup: 60 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugar, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein)

This is a 60 calorie package of caramely pudding goodness makes you fell like you are cheating on your diet when you are not. Highly recommended.

End Weight: 203.4
Previous Weight: 209.4
Loss: 6 lbs
Net Loss: 6 lbs

Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. I lost a good deal of weight this week on the new diet and exercise plan. I was actually down more but regressed last night by breaking down and going to my favorite Mexican restaurant. I think it tasted better than anything I have ever consumed in my entire life.

I’ve also learned a lot about what to eat that is low calorie that tastes good. I’m thinking of posting information about low cal meals just for fun and so I don’t forget them later.

• Progresso Light Santa Fe Style Chicken
• Amy’s Quarter Pound Veggie Burger
  • w/ sauteed onions, peppers and garlic
  • Arnolds Select Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins

Well, sadly I have to report that my attempt to hit 210 pounds by the end of 2009 failed. In order to make amends for this shortfall I have decided to set a different goal and pursue a more liberal weight loss program for the the new year. My buddy Chad said I should post weekly with my progress as a way to hold myself accountable. Given that it worked for him, I thought I would give it a shot. My goal is to reduce my weight to 185 pounds or about 25 pounds – daily calorie intake of around 1800.