Minestrone, homey.

We ate at Olive Garden recently and Dawn had the minestrone and commented she'd like to try making some at home.  I mentioned I've seen plenty of websites out there which clone the recipes from popular restaurants and in minutes, she'd found one for the minestrone.

It had a couple of questionable aspects which we altered (namely, not much in the tomato department, which was odd considering minestrone is a tomato-based soup usually).

It was fun to make, and delicious. We added on some pepper-jack grilled cheese sammiches, which of course, you should skip if on a diet.  Yeah, I know. But it was good! Stop looking at me like that and eat this good soup, dammit.

I'll give you the ingredients in groups, and you'll see why. It's OK to put all the ingredients from each group in separate big bowls.

Group 1: Veggies

• 1/4 cup minced onion (preferably white)
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 2 Tbs finely minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup chopped french or green beans (frozen OK)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped zucchini

Group 2: MOAR veggies

• 4 Cups vegetable broth (Swanson, low sodium)
• 1 28oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes (and juice)
• 1 14oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 14oz. can white kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 cups hot water

Group 3: Spices

• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Group 4: Finishers

• 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, whole
• 1/3 cup uncooked small pasta, such as shells (we used tri-flavored elbow pasta. Whatever makes you happy. But 1/3 cup goes  along way.)

And of course...

Cooking:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot

2. Cook Group 1 veggies about 5 minutes (until onion is translucent)

3. Add Group 2 veggies, pouring in the broth last. Also add Group 3 (spices)

4. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes.

5. Add group 4, stir in, and simmer another 20 minutes.

Grilled Cheese Sammich:

If you don't know how to make a grilled cheese sammich, don't worry. I've hired Odlug Spleenripper, the notorious chaos marauder, to help:

1. GET BREDS
2. GET HOT ROCKS
3. GET CHEESES
4. GET BUTTERS
5. SLATHER BUTTERS ONTO BREDS AND ATTACH CHEESE
6. GLORY IN THE SOUNDS OF ENDLESS BATTLE
7. WASH HANDS IN HEARTBLOOD OF GAROK VAROKROKSENROK
8. Enjoy with minestrone, homey.

©Games Workshop 1987... ish

Birthday shenanigans.

It was my Birthday yesterday and we hooked up with a few friends and family at Claim Jumper at the Alderwood mall.  I wanted to keep it small this year, and yep, I'm a 37-year-old me now. :)

For dinner I had roasted tri-tip, and I got green beans and roasted veggies as the side - skipped potatoes, skipped the cheese bread which came with it and gave it away.  They were nice enough to provide a birthday red velvet cupcake, I did have a bite of that but gave most of it away too. 

Christmas was also pretty awesome, we have photos to get up so I will have another belated holiday blog sometime soon, promise.  Needless to say during these holidays there was much to nom upon and I indulged myself a bit in both cases.  It had the predictable result of giving me back a couple of the pounds I've lost recently, but I am comfortable with that, since I know now that I'll just get back on track again in the wake of it.  The only really large obstacles on the horizon for me now are a new years party (should be easy) - and a vacation to Hawaii in January (which won't be easy - but who cares, it's HAWAII, we will be having a fantastic time!)

Approaching the end of 2011, I had a midway goal weight in mind. An arbitrary number, 250.  When I started doing this it seemed unattainable to me, but I have come close. I could even make it - I have until Sunday this week, but I might not quite squeak in there.  As of this morning I have 5.5 pounds more to shed to make that happen.  Even if I don't get to 250, I feel like I'm hitting my personal goals on a regular basis, which is just fine.

When I first started Dukan, I did a survey on their website to show me their expectation of my timeline for reaching my goal weight and beginning 'phrase 3' of the diet. Despite me stating at the time my goal was 221 pounds (losing 100 pounds) - the diet recommended I try for 230, my 'true weight' - a realistic weight I could reach and maintain.  I did the survey on 8/28/11 and here's a look at the time line they expected for me:




Utterly cheesy.. but actually a pretty reasonable timeline.



Strictly following the Dukan Diet, it was expected that I won't get down to 230 pounds until June of 2012.  The consolidation phase (phase 3) in the Dukan diet is intended to keep you on the right path, so you don't slip off your diet and go back to bad habits - at a time when your body is eager to regain lost calories and pounds.  It's one of the reasons I chose this diet as my starting point - knowing it was going to keep helping me long term.  I figure if I can lose about 3 pounds a week, which is pretty reasonable, It'll take another 11-12 weeks for me to get down to my 221 target.  That means I'll hit it roughly in April.  I'll keep going from there, of course.. but that's the primary initial goal for me still at this point, getting to my 100 pounds lost point on this diet, which will really be about 119 pounds down from my heaviest.

More importantly than all of those numbers and pounds though is that I am feeling much better, healthier, more energetic, and more ambitious in general.  That's what I really wanted, and needed, out of this.

I'm not putting up a weight chart, etc. this week. I'll have an end of the year one up next Monday, hopefully it will be good news, and I have a little more serious post to write as well to go with it.

After all, the battle of Mark vs. Mark is a battle that will still be waged in 2012.  If the world is going to end, I want to go out of it feeling healthier. ;)

Cold Ones (No, not beer)

It's been cold lately - but this morning was about 30f, brrrr. When I went out walking I took childish pleasure stepping on the crispy grass, listening to the nice frosty crunch of it underfoot and I snapped this pretty nifty picture.

It has been a quiet week for Dawn and I for the most part.  We're getting ready to have people over for Christmas on Sunday so we're cleaning, and making checklists for cooking dinner, and emailing everyone. I love the holiday season - it's always busy but I really enjoy everyone getting together and seeing friends and family, and having a good time.

Punkin' pie!

On the health and diet front, it's been a mediocre week for me.  I have watched my weight go very mildly up since Monday, and know it'll come back down by the end of the weekend.. it's become a normal pattern for me.  The net result is typically a pound or two lost per week which has been very encouraging.  I did indulge in a few things this week, such as a skinny slice of a particularly delicious pumpkin pie Dawn baked up for me to take in to work.  It was universally nommed up on and adored by everyone. :)

Tonight I have some work to do on a personal art project, more on that later.

I don't know that I'll get another blog up before the holidays so if you happen to read this, Merry Christmas to you - or happy whatever else.  Hang out with people you know and love, eat food, and try not to think about serious stuff for a day. It's good for you.

Monday Weigh-In + Weekend Stuffs

Click for Ze Big Version™

Good morning, humans.

I had a pretty decent week, sliding down another few pounds. My low was 252 even yesterday morning, but this morning I was back up a tad. Hey, I had a nice steak dinner last night, sue me! :)

I had a particularly sinful meal this weekend while company was over, some delivery Chinese food from the place down the block. I had a small portion of rice and noodles, and then some Mongolian beef, a potsticker, and a portion of sweet and sour chicken.  I wanted to see what was going to happen in the wake of it. The answer? Not much. As predicted in the Dukan diet book - having an off-plan meal occasionally is just fine, and I have definitely kept it very occasional.

I did experience something this weekend for the first time in months, though, which surprised me.  The return of the urge to snack.  Up until now, I have not really felt that very much.  If I had to guess, I would say it came back at me due to a combination of eating meals at improper times (I had late breakfast one morning, and very late lunch yesterday) - and also my metabolism is in a slightly higher gear, I might not be getting enough calories. Time to re-check that.  I added something new to my diet recently too, occasionally - the Clif Builder's bars. They have a pretty solid amount of protein in them and lots of vitamins, they are a good once in a while addition to things.  I've been looking for the best deal on them too and it looks like of all places, Amazon might be the one - you can 'subscribe' to them, and have some delivered on a regular basis, and they become cheaper than at any store around us (even Trader Joe's.)

We had a pretty social weekend.  Friday we went to hang out with the Bhargavas, and Jason.  It was a pretty chill evening, primarily comprised of sitting around playing Saints Row 3 and getting Leslie to giggle.  The day after that, Jason and Ron came over to hang out and we had the Chinese food I mentioned above, watched some movies, etc.  Dawn and I managed to get the rest of our holiday shopping done and now we're able to just relax this week heading into Christmas.  I had a fun moment when we were at the Fred Meyer in Lynnwood - a co-worker of mine who is at a different office bumped into us and gave me a very funny look and said, "Wow. Did you lose a bunch of weight recently? You look great!" I'll admit it feels pretty awesome hearing something like that.

And now, a video of my bubble lights, because they are awesome. Thanks for reading, peoples.

Simple Chicken Sammiches



Tasty little buggers, these.



Here's a simple dinner idea - home made grilled chicken sammiches.  Did this the other night, and I was very happy.

I used one large chicken breast, butterflied and grilled with just a bit of pepper and some of the very tasty Kirkland Brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning which Leslie discovered at Costco (but you can buy it online).

I sliced some fresh tomato, butter lettuce, and added a bit of these healthier choices for condiments:

The final touch here is using buns that take a serious cut out of the carbs and calories you get with a sandwich normally.  Dawn and I have used 100-calorie sandwich thins for a long time to make burgers and sandwiches and I always go for whole grain or whole wheat.  These things are great if you toast them just slightly on a grill before using them.

Making small changes to how you prepare a dish you already like is a pretty awesome way to keep calories and nutrition under control.  Here I have low calorie buns, lean chicken breast, fat-free mayo, reduced sugar ketchup, and fresh tomato and lettuce. All quite healthy, and tasty.  You could add a bit of salt to the chicken while cooking if you like, I didn't.  I had 2 sandwiches for dinner to get up to my minimum calorie count for the day, but one is pretty filling and would go awesomely with some grilled zucchini or asparagus, or a side salad.

Now the non-recipe part of this post. Someone at work the other day asked me this question, watching me eating a simple lunch:

"Do you miss eating other stuff at lunch, instead?"

I told her,

"That's like asking me if I miss the 60+ extra pounds I was carrying around a handful of months ago. No, I don't miss it." And I meant it. I've reached the point where I've changed my eating habits on a more permanent basis.  I no longer think, "This is a diet, someday I'll be able to go back to eating XXXXX and XXXXX things."

I'm not missing it much, and I know if I do, I will eat a bit and then keep it moderate.  The most important thing to me is that I am getting more exercise, which was totally missing from my life before with the exception of halfhearted time spent at the gym a few days a week.

All I can say is, the hardest part is starting out and then sticking to it for more than a week. So many times before this, I steeled myself and said I was going to begin a diet, and exercise, and in less than a week I was already failing at it.  And once you do that week - you do another. Then somehow it is 4+ months later and you can say, "Wow. Hey, I did it. I'm doing it. I'll keep doing it."

I will admit I have stopped strictly following the Dukan Diet.  It was exactly what I needed to help me learn better structure in my life in terms of eating and exercise, though. I'd recommend it to anyone - the book has pretty good info in general that helps you understand food a bit more, and the message it passes on is fantastic - this is a permanent change, not a diet.  His information is presented in an easy to understand and follow manner. 

Very importantly to me as well, it gives you very specific lists of foods to eat, and foods to avoid. It opened up a door for me to get interested in nutrition, and in a short time, I was making smarter selections while shopping, and steering clear of choices at restaurants.  Because of that diet book, I have what I had been lacking for a long time - the basic structure to base a big dietary change on, and I have run with it.

I have added some of the stuff from the 'phase 3' section of the book early. I still don't eat much fruit, but I will have a little bread. I have fat-free cheese.  I use sauces, but I use them lightly and on the side. 

So far, so good. I really don't feel I am suffering any hardship, and I am losing weight, feeling much more energetic and healthier.

Makes me think back on my same mantra I've had. Why didn't I do this earlier?

Why indeed!



Works great for burgers, too!



Seattle Jingle Bell Run (5K) 2011 - Finish Line crossing

An even week. Weigh in time.

Click for Ze Big Version™

So I have been doing this crazy new diet/exercise thing for 15 weeks now.  I am pretty in tune with what will help me and what will hinder me, and when I deviate more towards the latter these days it is will full knowledge of what I am up to.

That was this week, but a couple of reasons. One of them was I wasn't feeling very good Monday - I had major aches and pains in my chest which travelled to my shoulders, neck, and arms.  Soreness I earned by deciding to run the couple of days right before that.  I'd like to say it was worth it but I was miserable because of it. That made it easier to give myself a pass on walking when Friday rolled along and we had a party for work, where we spent all day down in Seattle. No walks that day. I did eat responsibly for the most part.

Oh hi, non-diet-compatible food.

Then we hooked up with Jason and went out to get Indian food, and I indulged in rice, naan bread, sauces, etc. Followed it up with dessert at home, some chocolate brownie ice cream.  Next day, hanging out with Jason we hit up a diner, and I decided I'd get a chicken sandwich that had feta cheese on it, and of course, buttery grilled rye bread.

No walks Saturday, either. Kept it easy and mellow.

At one point this week I was down to 255, but then I had those couple days and settled right back up at 257-258, where I started out.  No loss, no gain.  No biggie.

Back on track in the new week!  There's an insurance company phrase called 'accident forgiveness' - I think I will give myself some 'Nomming forgiveness.'



Be happy, tree hat guy! It's Christmas!



We also ended the weekend in a proper healthy manner - by doing the 2011 Jingle Bell Run/Walk down in Seattle, a 3.2 mile (5K) walking course through the streets of Seattle.  Parul took fantastic pictures, so I will just send you over to his flickr site to see them.

That said, he's one of my favorites ->

There were tons of people there with some awesome hats and stuff. I challenged Parul to find someone wearing a super-festive hat, but who looked grouchy about it - he definitely won that challenge with this shot.

All in all it was a busy week and the weekend was busy as well.  I guess I technically did walk Saturday as Dawn and I ran a bajillion errands, including a foolish trip to the Alderwood Mall where we walked and mingled with the sea of humanity which was there.  Not a good idea.

I feel much better this week, and I am ready to focus again and keep battling myself.

Over 'n out.