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Not bad this week. I’m REALLY looking forward to getting down under 190 lbs. My metabolism is starting to push back a little so watching what I eat calorie wise continues to be very important. Losing a pound a week over the next month will be a achievable. My appetite has become more accustom to smaller portions so I fill up faster. That makes resisting larger portions that much easier. I’ve found it’s best to just not put too much on your plate to start with.

Today is cheat day and Caroline and I both hit our first milestone so we will be celebrating with a cheese and chocolate fondue meal – Yummy!

End Weight: 192.2
Previous Weight: 194
Week 5 Loss: -1.8 lbs
Net Loss: -15.8 lbs
BMI: 24.67
Percent of Goal (175 lbs.): 47.88% Complete

I knew it was going to get harder sooner or later. It appears this is the week the pounds get stubborn. I’m really looking forward to getting under 190 again. At 190 the majority of pants should start to fit again! Think of the alteration fees I can avoid!

End Weight: 194
Previous Weight: 195.4
Week 5 Loss: -1.4 lbs
Net Loss: -14.0 lbs
BMI: 24.91
Percent of Goal (175 lbs.): 42.42% Complete

P.F. Chang’s frozen meals are fantastic. I’ve had several of them previously with no regard to calorie content. Anyway, now dieting, I thought to check them out for their appropriateness for my diet. The problem with most of the meals is that you want to serve them with rice and that really drives the calories through the roof. But with the noodles, the calories stay relatively low at 350 per serving.

Bottom line, you can’t beat the taste for calorie ratio of this dish. I did add small handful of peanuts right at the end and allowed it simmer the final minute.  Yummy!!

I’ve continued to make steady progress this week. Yogurt for breakfast and salads for lunch most days. I’ve discovered a pretty good lunch at Panera consisting of 1/2 a Smoked Turkey sandwich on wheat and a cup of Chicken Noodle soup. You can have them give you an apple instead of the baguette. Total of 280 calories. We have also been enjoying some tasty Talapia dinners. I’ll post that recipe sometime this week.

End Weight: 195.4
Previous Weight: 198.8
Loss: -3.4 lbs
Net Loss: -12.6 lbs
BMI: 25.09
Percent of Goal (175 lbs.): 38.18% Complete

Yes, under 200 lbs. again and I already feel lighter. I’m about 6 weeks away from my skinny clothes, the fat bin is waiting for me to load it up and pack it away again. Unfortunately, all the easy lbs. are all almost gone and soon it will be time to settle in for the ground war with the remaining 20 lbs.

End Weight: 198.8
Previous Weight: 202.4
Loss: -3.6 lbs
Net Loss: -9.2 lbs
BMI: 25.52
Percent of Goal (175 lbs.): 27.88% Complete

That’s right! Take that. I say “game on” to my fatness. Your ass is mine!!

End Weight: 202.4
Previous Weight: 208.0
Loss: -5.6 lbs
Net Loss: -5.6 lbs
BMI: 25.98
Percent of Goal (175 lbs.): 16.97% Complete

I cut the Venison loin into strips and lightly breaded with flour. I fried the strips for about 5-7 minutes for both sides and then added the vegetables. After about another 5 minutes I added the sauce. That I let run on medium heat for a final 5-7 minutes and served on a bed of rice.

The sauce was made from the following all mixed together before hand:

2 tablespoons Corn Starch
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Added peanuts as an after thought. It was great with or without the nuts.

With the dawn of a new year comes a renewed focus on my physical well being. As you can see I have plumped up over the last year quite a bit. It’s time to remedy that. My Goal is to lose 30 lbs. over the next 6 months. Wish me luck!

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 homemade 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 in the marinade 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 and you won’t be disappointed!

End Weight: 186.2
Previous Weight: 189.0
Loss: -2.8 lbs
Net Loss: -5.0 lbs
BMI: 23.90
Percent of New Goal (175 lbs.): 29.07% Complete

New Goal – 175 by March 1st. That is about 2 lbs a week if I can keep it up.

End Weight: 191.2
Previous Weight: ???
Loss: -0.0 lbs
Net Loss: 0.0 lbs
BMI: 24.5
Percent of New Goal (175 lbs.): 1% Complete

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