Beantown or Bust

Hello there! Sorry I was MIA for the past few days but I was in Boston for a wedding! It was truly a wonderful time and although I didn't get to experience Boston as thoroughly as I had wanted I did get a pretty good idea of what the city was like. Traveling for me can be a bit of a nightmare when I am trying to eat healthy. I don't mind making the BF suffer with my ridiculous healthy diet but I hate being "that person" who has to make every meal difficult because they don't eat x y and z. There was a lot of eating this past weekend as there is with most wedding celebrations. And I am proud to say that I navigated each dining experience with the expertise even Jenny Craig herself would be proud of!

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, which consisted of three courses. First was a small Caesar salad, I wished the dressing had come on the side instead of already all over, but I ate about 3/4 the salad and none of the croutons. For my entree I chose grilled salmon, with vegetables and shallots soaked in some sort of french white sauce. The salmon was delicious and grilled to perfection. I had a small bite of the shallots in the (very fatty) white sauce. The consistency of the sauce was such that it was pretty much coating the entire bottom of the plate so I tried to "scrape" it off my salmon with each bite. For dessert... I had to get the chocolate cake! I'm sorry but I am not celebrating my cousin's nuptials with a sorbet, it ain't gonna happen! However, I only ate 1/2 of the individual cake as it was really super rich, yet delicious.

Saturday was a bit more tricky, I had a nature valley granola bar for breakfast, then after touring a 300 year old graveyard where such American legends like Paul Revere and Ben Franklin are buried, we went to a small Boston pub. I was scared b/c most pubs aren't known for their healthy options. After pouring over the menu, I really only had two meat-free choices (excluding the tuna salad which is really never an option for me due to how much mayo is usually in those) I could have either a grilled cheese, or a Greek salad. I chose a Greek salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side. Of course there was about half a brick of feta sprinkled on top so I immediately took about half of that off and ate pretty much all of it. It was just big enough to be filling and quite delicious, I didn't even need the dressing!

Dinner that night consisted of two lobster tails, carrots and cauliflower, a citrus salad to start and for dessert a small slice of wedding cake. Today, on the train ride I only had two 100 Calorie Packs of the Cocoa Roast Almonds (which are SOOOO delish!) and then came home and ate a few things to keep me full! I was surprised to see that when I weighed in after this weekend, I actually lost three pounds, weighing 158! Woo-Hoo!!! Hopefully that isn't some random body fluke and will stick around for tomorrow! But we shall see!!! I didn't get to shred but I did get to run 3 miles Saturday morning. Just a little side note here, EVERYBODY runs in Boston, EVERYBODY!!!!

30 Day Shred Results -- Week 1

Whew, what a week! For the first time in quite some time I really dedicated myself to doing the shred, and not only doing it, but doing it. No half-assing, turning it off half way through, sort of doing the moves for me. I was COMMITTED!!!!!! And now it is time for me to unveil my results......

Weight - 161 lbs (-6.5 lbs)
Chest - 36" (-1")
Waist - 29" (-2")
Hips - 36.5" (-1.5")
Thighs - 21.5"

So wow, those are some results! And as you can see I've added my thighs to be measured so we will see if they shrink. Let me just say that the shred is no joke and it is REALLY intense. I'm talking sweat dripping down your face after ten minutes intense. I really believe that you get what you put in and I am so happy to see that all my hard work is paying off. As Jillian says "results don't come for free".

To supplement my shred I have been maintaing a ~1600 calorie a day diet and also have done extra cardio 5 times a week. I have about 6 weeks to meet my goal, and while I would love to reach 140 lbs, I know that 20lbs in 6 weeks is quite difficult and not all that healthy, but we'll see what happens!

Cake Day

I work in what many would consider to be a beautiful office. Beautiful wood accents throughout, gorgeous lobby, nicely maintained bathrooms, who could ask for more? As much as I love my work environment there is one thing that, as somebody who struggles to eat healthy, I absolutely hate, the constant food!!! It's not so bad in the summertime, however in the Winter and Fall it seems like a day does not go by where I do not get an email with something like "fresh cookies in the café!" or "I baked a cake last night and brought it in". You see, I work in an office with probably 200 people, and they do what is called a "birthday celebration". Once a month we celebrate everybody's birthday for that particular month with "cake day".

On cake day there is an announcement that is made over the loudspeaker alerting us to the presence of hundreds and hundreds of slices of cake available in the café. Then, like cows, we herd into the café and take our plate (or plates) of cake slices. We also have a monthly breakfast buffet, usually held on a Friday, where seemingly limitless quantities of waffles, bagels, assorted croissants are available for the taking. Occasionally, a fruit tray may make an appearance, but the ratio of "healthy" to "crap" is usually 1:10. Just last week for example there was a Sundae party, where we could make Sundaes to our liking with various toppings. A SUNDAE PARTY!!!!! Oh, and did I mention that out of the 200 so people that work at my firm, dispersed over the 4 floors of offices, I have the location CLOSEST to the café. The café is literally 5 steps from my desk. So whenever somebody heats up something, brings in something delicious, yup, I can smell it. Talk about torture!

I love that my firm is so committed to providing us with treats to boost morale and keep spirits up and yes at the end of the day it is all about personal responsibility. I do my best to avoid the naughty options provided on an almost daily basis however it gets hard when the aroma of cake is lingering around your office and co-workers are walking by at a steady pace with their plates asking you "why didn't you get a piece... go get one!". I make sure to keep my desk stocked with some essentials which are: Luna Bars, Fiber One Cereal, Mini chocolate drizzle rice cakes, and I also keep the fridges stocked with healthy options like apples and cottage cheese (which I figure are the safest bets to avoid that office thief).

I personally find it important to have a safer option to reach to when a horrible option is so easily accessible. Don't even get me started on how the healthiest option in our vending machines are Pop Tarts. So if you are like me and find that your work environment is not conducive to your weight goals, it is important that you make your own surroundings as beneficial as possible! Think ahead and keep a stash of healthy choices by you at all times so when that birthday cake looks too good to resist, you can reach for a sensible, pre-portioned snack and still enjoy a treat but not feel guilty.

P.S. - In addition, my boss keeps an aquarium-sized fish bowl filled with chocolate at all times in her office..... so if I can maintain my will power so can you!

Mini Shred Update

Ok, so I know I promised myself I would only weigh myself once a week (on Thursdays) but I was curious to see if I have made any progress considering I have done my shred four times since Friday. I am so happy to say that I have lost 7.5 pounds in just 5 days! However, I know that 7.3 of that was probably the water weight I was retaining from beginning my new healthy eating regime of 1500-1600 calories a day and drinking a ton of water (which my body was not used to). I am not going to measure myself until this Thursday but I already feel my "fat pants" getting a bit looser, yay!!!

If you don't know what the 30 Day Shred is, go here to read all about it!

Adventures in Dining Out

Tonight is my parent’s anniversary and they have apparently decided to forego a romantic dinner alone by inviting me out with them! I couldn’t bring myself to deny their invitation so I decided that I can skip a night at the gym (but not my shred, which only lasts 25 mins) to spend some quality time with my parents.

As I usually do, I checked out the menu of the restaurant earlier this morning so I will go prepared with my order ahead of time and not get tempted by anything I may see (or smell) once we arrive.
We are going to basically a more upscale sports bar/lounge place that has the typical: burgers, sandwiches, etc. I have already decided that I am going to get the black bean burger which comes on a Kaiser roll, and to take the top of the roll off. Their sides are laughable however, I have the choice of cole slaw, onion rings, garlic mashers or french fries. I am going to ask to sub a small side salad.

Check out this great blog posting for some tips on how to survive an eating out experience!

New Product Alert! Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik'n

The BF and I were at Superfresh earlier today and I decided to peruse the frozen Meatless section to see if anything new happen to be out and boy was I delighted with what I found. A new meatless chicken option!!! Morningstar Farms has really been hitting it out of the park with a bunch of new meatless entrees. There latest offering (which is apparantly so new it isn't even listed a their official website) are Grillers Chik'n. Their grillers line is a more meatier and substantial version of their veggie burgers. What makes this "chicken" version is that it is not breaded. The only other non-breaded veggie chicken product is quorn, which I also really enjoy but is only sold at select retailers. Hopefully these Grillers Chick'n will catch on b/c I just had two and they are really quite good. So here are the stats!

Calories - 80

Calories from Fat - 30

Total Fat - 3g

Carbs - 7g

Fiber - 5g

Sugar - 0

Protein 9g

As you can see these pack a great deal of protein and fiber and clock in at well under 100 calories a patty. These would be a great addition to any grilling event you may throw this summer as a nice meat alernative.

30 Day Shred

One cannot lose weight and get fit without incorporating some form of fitness routine. So here is where I introduce you to my plan on getting into top form! Let me first start by saying I am a cardio junkie. When I go to the gym it is strictly cardio, cardio and some more cardio. While cardio is great to get my heart rate up, it isn’t as efficient at building lean muscle as is resistance training with free weights. And if you don’t know, the more lean muscle you have on your body, the more calories your body burns. If it weren’t for my crippling fear of public humiliation I would simply work out in the “free weight” area of my gym, however, I choose to keep what little dignity I have left intact and instead, prefer to do such workouts in the privacy of my own home. One great program I have come across over my years of working out is an amazing DVD from Jillian Michaels called 30 Day Shred.

The premise of 30 Day Shred is to give yourself 30 days… and your shredded. Now I know that the likelihood of me being “shredded” in 30 days just by doing a DVD are slim to none. However from my previous experiences I have had with this program I do know that results are guaranteed with consistency. I have never actually done a whole 30 days in a row with the program (as is suggested) and I doubt that I will anytime soon. With that being said I know that I can at least commit to doing it 5-6x a week in tandem with my regular cardio sessions. All you need is a pair of hand weights and a mat if you are working out on a hard surface. It can be a bit hard on your joints but there are some great modifier positions to ease the stress on your body.I figure it would be interesting for me to take my measurements throughout my shred journey! Once a week I can update my stats and share my experience. So without further adieu…. I figure I might as well bite the bullet now and post my "before" stats.

Day 1:

Weight - 167.5 (HOLY S%$T)
Chest - 37
Waist - 31
Hips - 38

Retention Resentment

There is no denying that years of yo-yo dieting and feast or famine living have taken a toll on my body. This fact was abundantly clear to me as I was getting dressed for work this morning. You see, I’m retaining so much water that my shoes were literally cutting off circulation to my feet. Now that I have committed to healthy living I have a few hurdles to overcome before I get to experience all the joys of an active and wholesome life. Probably the most difficult one for me to come to grips with is the bloat and water retention.

Basically my body was malnourished from not getting enough nutrients. Limited or restrictive diets are just that, limiting and restrictive of nutrients which leaves our bodies literally starving and undernourished. Now that I am inundating my body with healthy fats, carbs and protein, it is voraciously holding onto every ounce whether I like it or not. This clearly makes for a very discouraging situation for me. The numbers on the scale aren’t going down even though I am working out and eating healthy, in fact… they are going UP! It is hard to tell yourself that it is just water weight when you are seemingly doing everything right and you are losing the battle of the bulge. My face is puffy, my legs feel tight and my feet are swollen. At this point all I can do is wait, while I continue eating 5-6 small meals a day and maintain my exercise routine secure in the knowledge that within a few weeks I will move past this bloating stage and really begin to see results.

Mail Order Motivation

What did my pretty eyes spy when I arrive home from work today......

It is the jeans that I ordered from my new obsession, Gilt*. I ordered a size 29, honestly b/c that is all they had left and I had to scoop them up at such an amazing price, even though I ordinarilly wear a size 30 waist. Now I know what you are thinking...

"Wait, ummm aren't you a guy?!"

Yes. Yes I am. And yes, I wear women's jeans. Ok, before your eyes dislocate themselves from rolling too hard to the left, hear me out! I can fully admit that I have more of a "woman" body than I do a man body. I am not straight up and down thru the hips/waist. I have a defined waist, and larger hips. This makes buying and wearing any sort of bottom made for men a very unflattering process for me. So I have learned that women's jeans are where it's at for me. The secret is in the cut, straight leg or taper only, no sort of flare or crop. Anyway....

Basically, I just tried them on knowing they wouldn't fit, but they did go over my thighs, so there is hope. Now buttoning them... well that is another story. My goal is that in two months I will be able to wear them out when me and one of my bestest girls go see a favorite Drag Performer of ours. I have the racerback tank top all picked out as well and am looking completely smashing in my head!

The point of this post is to brag about my cute jeans I got for dirt cheap but more importantly to say that it is important to use these sorts of things as motiviation when you really, REALLY, REALLY want fall hard off the wagon and overindulge or skip a workout. If anything, keeping things like an outfit or an occasion in mind while working out or dieting can hopefully prevent you from taking things too far when you do choose to indulge. Every now and then is fine but we must remember to keep it in check and enjoy the moment, but then get right back on course and stay there. Here's to skinny jeans!

* Email me for an invite, as it is a private shopping website.

Welcome!

Hello and thank you so much for checking out this little horse and pony show I like to call The Skinny Project Blog. If you have found yourself here you are either a.) drunkenly cruising the interweb, again, or b.) interested in weight loss, fitness and nutrition. Hopefully, it is reason B! In this section I would like to just write a little about myself so that you, the reader, can understand where I am coming from a little bit better.

My name is Michael, but everybody calls me Mikey. I am twenty five years old and reside in the greater Philadelphia area (actually, I’m lying… I live in Delaware, but nobody knows where that is). I am a vegetarian who eats seafood (a pescatarian). I work in the legal industry and consider my job to be pretty high stress. I LOVE to eat. I have a boyfriend, also named Michael. I am one of the few who actually enjoys working out. However, when given the choice of a bag of miniature Reese cups or a 3 mile run, I will most likely take the Reese’s cups every time. I have weighed as much as 208 pounds and as little as 117. Neither looked all that attractive on me and I have consistently had issues maintaining my weight. It seem as if I am either gaining it or losing it with no happy medium.

The purpose for this blog is that I feel that I, like many people who struggle with weight, am constantly living two lives. There is me ON a diet: low energy, psychotic, snippy, miserable, unhappy. And then there is me OFF a diet: gluttonous, lethargic, lazy, unhappy. I have come to a point where I can just no longer stand the ON/OFF way of living. I am tired of losing the twenty pounds, only to gain it all back three months later (and then some!). I am tired of the all carb, no carb, maple syrup, only grass (but all the grass you can eat) type diets, and I have tried them all. I have reached a point where I know that I just want to be able to eat healthy. I want to consistently be making healthy food choices and turn off the switch in my brain that has me living either “on” a diet, or “off”. There has to be a middle ground, and there has to be a way for me, and you, to reach a weight at which I we are all happy and, wait for it….. stay there!

Currently, I weigh around 160, and while I don’t consider myself to be “fat”, I am just not comfortable at this weight. Ideally, I would like to reach, and maintain, a weight of 140. I feel that I tend to look, and feel my best at that weight and it is within a healthy BMI range for my height of 5’10. I actually have a small build and joke that I am built like a woman. I do, in fact, have a waist and hips, much like a woman. I do wear women’s jeans and let me tell you, no pair of men’s jeans has ever fit me so well! But I digress…. I tend to gain weight first in my midsection (and of course that is the last place I lose). Because I used to be about fifty pounds heavier I do have some skin issues, and because of that will most likely never have a six pack or a totally flat stomach (no matter how skinny I get), but I have come to terms with that and have people who love me no matter what my stomach looks like.

I invite you to read along as I start my journey back to skinny, and hopefully, stay there! I know that it is going to be difficult but my god I’ve lost and gained weight so many times I’m starting to feel like the gay white male Oprah! I want this to be a journal for how to take off the weight the healthy way. I will be chronicling my daily activities, what I am eating, all the fabulous food finds I come across and also my stumbles. I don’t plan on falling off the wagon, but if I happen to I know that I can jump right back on. Every meal, every workout, everything is a decision. And it is about taking things one day, one bit, one step at a time. We all make our own choices and I hope that you will choose to follow me down this road. So without further adieu, let’s get to blogging!