goals. progress. results.

Trying making bread again. This time with a bread machine....

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:59:28 -0500

Trying making bread again. This time with a bread machine. It’s still not rising as much as I’d like, but it tastes great!

Late Summer Pictures

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:15:18 -0500

Late Summer Pictures

Potatoes Dug, Beans picked

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:47:54 -0500

Potatoes Dug, Beans picked

Saw this article a few minutes...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:11:55 -0500

Saw this article a few minutes ago:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44013462/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Seemed like a pretty ignorant article! It assumes that in order to meet the recommended dietary recommendations, you’d have to add money for each deficient nutrient! In the real world, ‘healthy’ foods(whole foods) replace the processed crap that comprises the average American diet. It doesn’t take into account the savings in cutting out sodas, excessive amounts of meat, etc. It doesn’t take into account the cost savings available by growing at least a little of your own food, purchasing in season local food from farmers market, and/or incorporating fresh/frozen food into your diet.

Yes, eating healthy can be more expensive, but it shouldn’t be excessively more expensive if a little creativity and common sense is used!

What do you think?

Lunch yesterday! Was planning on making burritos, and had...

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:12:00 -0500

Lunch yesterday! Was planning on making burritos, and had everything prepared only to find that I didn’t have any tortilla shells. That turned it into a salad! It was a little bland, but I couldn’t figure out what I was missing. At least it looked great! :) Ingredients: Spinach, black beans, homemade guacamole, and tomato.

So was it worth it?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:33:59 -0500

Was the juice fast worth the it? Definitely! I’ve noticed the last couple of days that my joints aren’t hurting! Considering that they’ve been hurting constantly for the past several years, that’s huge!

Even though I spent a while working outside yesterday, and then pounded the pavement for several hours today, I still didn’t experience the excruciating pain that a little overexertion normally brings. I could get used to this!

So far I’m sticking to a whole food, plant-based diet and loving it.

Step 2

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:56:00 -0500

Was going to post last night, but Tumblr was down, again.

After about 5 days of not eating, I decided to finish the juice fast last night. I’m pretty glad that I went that long, and am feeling a little bit better. For now, I’m going to stick with a vegetarian diet, and still do a lot of juicing.

I think I could’ve stuck it out a little longer, but I just haven’t found a good mix for greens that I could drink every day. Fruit juices, tomato, and carrot are all good, but celery, kale, and some of the herbs I’ve added are just toxic(to me! :). Experimentation needed! Now a fresh peach and mango juice(thick enough to be a smoothie really!) that I made the other day is destined to become a regular! Wow!

Day 3

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:04:00 -0500

Well, it’s been 3 days since I decided to go on the juice fast, and so far so good! It’s not been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve barely been hungry, and even though it’s recommended to drink 4-6 16oz glasses of juice a day(and an equivalent amount of water!), I’ve not been able to get more than three in a day so far. That should change in the next day or so I think, as I get in the swing of things. I have been trying to alternate one glass of juice with one glass of water, just to keep it easy to remember how much I’ve had so far.

I’m starting to figure out which fruit/vegetable combinations that I like best, and which ones to avoid like the plague! I’ve still got plenty of vegetables left, but I went and got some more tonight to replenish a few items, and get a little more variety in. Tonight’s additions were cucumbers, celery, sweet peppers, mint, cilantro, basil, oranges, more spinach, and more apples! That only brought the total cost up to about $60, and seems like it should last me until next Tuesday(for a full week!).

Enjoy a few pics and descriptions of today’s concoctions.

Breakfast! Kept it simple with 3 peaches. Was great! I am a huge fan of fresh peaches, so this was a no-brainer!

Lunch! I was a little hesitant about this one, because the ‘green’ mixes I’ve made before turned out a little ‘off’(read: disgusting!) This contained(if memory serves): Kale, spinach, green apples, ginger, and some key lime juice. Not to bad, although I might experiment with leaving out the ginger, and adding more lime juice. I think tomorrow’s green experiment will use the mint though, and see how that works.

Supper! This is practically raw spaghetti sauce! Not that it really tasted anything like it :) It’s tomato, peppers, onion, and basil. Wasn’t bad, but I’ll definitely cut down on the amount of onion next time. I also learned that when you juice an onion, it’s equivalent to launching a couple of tear gas bombs in a small space! Ouch!

Juicing

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:53:00 -0500

Watched the documentary: ‘Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead’ last week, and really enjoyed it. I thought about it, and studied on it for awhile, and decided to give it a shot! While I’m not big on diet schemes, or quick weight loss stuff, I do see the advantages of kickstarting a healthy lifestyle change with a juice fast. I was also drawn to it because it adheres to my philosphy that healthy food choices are not highly processed, low calories foods, but plant-based whole food diets. That’s really the only type of ‘diet’ that consistently works long-term. A juice fast just seems like a good way to reset what your body craves, and basically stuff it with nutrients to allow it to begin repairing the damage that poor nutrition and bad habits have caused.

I bought a juicer this morning, and a ton of veggies! Tomatoes, spinach, kale, carrots, ginger, apples, and peaches! I’m trying to keep track of how much it costs also, as some places estimate as much as $30/day in vegetables. I’m hoping to keep it much lower by not sticking to organic vegetables, but rather just cleaning regular stuff from the store.

Now is a great time of year to do it as well, because practically everything is in season, and dirt cheap locally at roadside stands and farmers markets!

The juicer: GE Juice Extractor from Walmart for about $50

The documentary is available on Netflix at: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. You can find other ways to watch it by going to the movie’s website at fatsickandnearlydead.com. Definitely worth watching.

Mid-Season Update

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:17:57 -0500

Mid-Season Update

Reboot

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:06:00 -0500

It’s been a little quiet on many of my blogs lately, and this one is no exception! I haven’t been keeping logs regularly like planned, and haven’t been sticking to an exercise schedule. It’s time for a fresh start to get back on track!

The hardest part is keeping logs, as they don’t lie nearly as well about my progress as I can to myself. I can tell myself that I’m eating ‘fairly good’, and exercising ‘reasonably often’, but if I had been keeping logs it would tell a different story! So the main thing I’m resolving to do is to keep logs of everything, even when they aren’t good!

If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

Link

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 04:13:19 -0500

Link

Whew! Took my first trip of the year up Brotherton mountain, and made it with ‘only’ 5...

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:19:36 -0500

Whew! Took my first trip of the year up Brotherton mountain, and made it with ‘only’ 5 or 6 stops to catch my breath. Looks like I’ve got some work to do!

Also took my first ride down Buck Mountain, and let me tell you, it about scared the crap out of me! The turn-off to my house is at the bottom of the hill, and I had to go about half a mile past before I could slow down enough to turn around!

My reel mower, also as mentioned in an earlier post. I’ve...

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:37:59 -0500

My reel mower, also as mentioned in an earlier post. I’ve used it several times, and it works great, even on an uneven yard.

My standing desk, as mentioned in an earlier post. Not quite...

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:30:07 -0500

My standing desk, as mentioned in an earlier post. Not quite finished yet, but still very functional!

And It's On!

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:10:01 -0500

My biking season is underway, in spite of the damp weather! Got my bike out, and tuned up this weekend, and took it out for a couple short spins. It was almost to wet and chilly to go out today, but I’ve been looking forward to going out for so long, I just went for it. Glad I did!

Be sure to check out the link in the right sidebar to keep tabs on exercise and weight progress.

The Plan

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:02:00 -0600

If you want to achieve a goal, you’ve got to have a plan, and I will achieve my goal!
This post will cover my plan, and a future post will cover my actual goal, and what “benchmarks” I’ll consider successful.

Why do I want to lose weight and get into shape?
1.) All the extra weight puts a lot of stress on my back, knees and feet. Especially my knees, which have been problematic even before I put on all this weight. Running, jogging, or even lifting heavy stuff isn’t an option unless I want to be limping in pain for the next two weeks.
2.) I’m tired of being worn out and tired all the time. It limits how much I can do in any given day, which directly impacts my business, hobbies, and volunteer activities.
3.) The extra weight makes me self-conscious, and less likely to do things that I want to do. Obviously looking in the mirror reminds me that I’ve failed big time in many areas along the last 5 years.

The plan to succeed consists of 3 parts(can you tell I like making lists?) :)
1. Stress Management
2. Exercise
3. Nutrition

1.) Stress Management

The only times that I’ve gained weight or had difficulty losing weight, have been times of great stress. Much research seems to correlate that weight and stress are directly connected.
My plan to reduce stress:
a.) Focus on spending time with the Lord, and studying the Bible.
“You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:3

b.) Work outside as much as possible.
Life just makes more sense outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, and the quiet. Plus most outdoor activities also count as good exercise as well!
c.) Streamline business
I’m constantly looking for ways to make my business more efficient and more responsive. Faster response equal happier customers which equals less stress(and more money which also equal less stress!).
I’m finishing up now remodeling the garage in my new home to my “ideal” office environment. Key points: lots of space, lots of light and windows, and a standing desk so that I’m not sitting down all the time(so far I love it!)

2.) Exercise

a.) Cycling
I’ve enjoyed cycling for the last several years as an escape from whatever stress might crop up. I also really enjoy seeing the countryside, and just exploring in general!
b.) Gardening
One of my favorite hobbies, hence the reason I have a degree in it! The idea of raising healthy food, and getting exercise and time outside as a side benefit just makes sense to me.
c.) General Yard Work
I’ve opted for a manual reel mower, which I’m pretty excited about. I’m also trying to do as much yard maintenance as possible with non-power tools. I could work longer to earn more money to buy more expensive tools, then work longer to pay for fuel, then work longer to pay for repairs, and then work longer to pay for a gym membership that I don’t have time for and rarely use, but that just seems like insanity to me! Instead of avoiding the work, I can embrace it, and as a result spend less time working to pay the bills.(the less stuff you “need” the more time you have to enjoy what you have!). It just makes sense to me :)
d.) Walking the dog
This is a great year-round activity. One loop around my neighborhood equals about 9/10ths of a mile, and on a good slow day, two trips is just an easy way to get some exercise and get outside.

3.) Nutrition

I don’t care about counting calories, and I don’t know what the best types of food to focus on are. If it was all as simple as counting calories, obesity wouldn’t be such an issue today. The ‘correct’ diet changes based on what month it is, and who you talk to! What I’ve always come back to(with the best results in the past), is the common sense recommendation of Michael Pollan(In Defense of Food) which is: “Eat food, mostly plants, and not to much”. Eating food refers to “real” whole foods, minimally processed. This lines up with how most of history has successfully eaten, how the Bible recommends eating, and how most healthy societies in the world today eat. Not exactly some fad diet! This is the kind of food I prefer anyway, so I’m more likely to stick with it long-term. It also fits well with my love of gardening(which further reduces the amount of time I spend in an office earning money to buy food!).
I’ve already eliminated caffeine, and most pork products and soft drinks(soon to be none!) so that’s a couple less changes to adapt to now.

Eliminate: beef(not 100% decided on this one yet), all pork, all soft drinks, and all fast food. (This isn’t a huge change, as I eat very little of this stuff at the moment. I’m just deciding to eliminate it completely now.)
Significantly Reduce: Dairy products(I drink tons of milk right now), and processed foods especially stuff with refined sugars).
Focus mostly on: Fish, Chicken, Eggs, and whole vegetables. I’ve been moving in this direction for awhile now, and it’s not nearly as restrictive as it sounds, it just takes more time to prepare everything(something I’m intentionally scheduling in every week). Most of the processed foods and fast food that I’ve eaten recently isn’t because of a craving for it so much as just not planning in the prep time, or just being to lazy to prepare good stuff.

So that’s the plan! My intention starting out was just to jot down a few notes so I think this ought to cover it :)
Anyone want to join me? I’m not suggesting you join my plan, but rather create a plan of your own, and join me on the road towards energy and fitness!

Getting Ready

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:35:58 -0600

Getting geared up for “cycling season”! I like to wait until Daylight Savings Time kicks in, as it means I can get out early enough in the morning to miss any school or rush hour traffic on the way back. Plus, it’s usually warm enough in the morning by then too!

I’m expecting good things this year as I try to get in good physical shape. Between being able to put out a garden this year, purchasing a manual reel mower to mow an acre, eating much healthier, working from a standing desk, and still biking as much as possible, I think I’ve got a good shot at getting back in long-term good health, and shed some pounds along the way!

So this week is all about getting past some knee pain from a construction project, and getting my bikes tuned up and ready to ride!

My plan is to keep a “journal” of my progress here on Tumblr, as a sort of fitness accountability thing, and just to keep track of everything!