March 27, 2011 – Ode to oatmeal

Oatmeal.  Such an amazing food for dieters, the health-minded, the ascetics and the Scots (oh what horses and what men!) among us.

It’s uber-healthy, potentially.  I’ve had it for lunch and dinner today, and it has played a large part in current and past attempts at weight loss.  You can have it savory or sweet.  Milk or water?  Whole, 2% or skim?  It’s incredibly versatile.

It can also be uber-unhealthy.  Case in point – one time, I made a French-themed oatmeal with bratwurst slices and caramelized onions and apples, as well as salt and pepper.  My sister gave me hell over that one and I promptly went back to plain oatmeal or oatmeal with apples.  My dad likes putting slices of ham in his (his is a healthier version).  I am currently digging into one with thinly-sliced cabbage and lean pork.

Weight is lowering steadily.  I think I can make this next goal.  =)

March 25, 2011 – Back to school tomorrow

Back to school tomorrow.  Hoo boy.  Better keep up the work.

I will not be making my first goal.  New goal is to be down to 189 pounds by April 1st.  Weights today have been:

Morning after run – 194.6

On the commercial scale (with shoes, kitted out, etc.) – 197.6

Just now, ready for bed in a couple hours – 194.2

Progress?  Hope so.  It’s hard to tell sometimes – I’ve seen my weight suddenly drop before, usually during a week where I ate a lot of junk food and exercised quite a bit more than usual.  I’ve been exercising well but not as much as I could have these last few days, but have been eating a reasonable diet since I came home.  Could have meaning 8 hours in the gym, or something ridiculous like that.

Plan: will be using the 4-mile bike route I used last summer.

Facebook page is up

Also:

My Facebook page is now active.  It’s under the provisional name “Real Men Bake Cake,” while I try to come up with a decent permanent moniker, at which time RMBK will become the tagline.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions, advice and ideas are all welcome.  Be my fan!

March 24, 2011 – Musings before bed: scales are not your friend

Weirdness.

So the doctor’s scale said I was 196 pounds Wednesday morning, with clothes for a cold morning and shoes on.  I used to take my shoes off and empty my pocket whenever I got weighed – none of that here.  That was, of course, before I got poked, prodded and turned into a pincushion.

Later that day, I jumped on the super-accurate business scale.  No way I ate/quaffed 3 pounds of food and water in one sitting.

That’s the thing.  I’ve been consistently around 197.5-199 pounds on the business scale.  At home, it’s more like 195-197 depending on what I’m wearing, when in the day I’m weighing myself and whether I’m fully hydrated or not.

At school, in the apartment, it’s more like 194, but I usually weight myself when I wake up and right before bed…

This discrepancy really gets to me if I think about it.  I’ll just go to bed – gotta get up for that morning run.  I hope the birds are doing okay outside – this cold snap is unpleasant, to me, but for them, it can be life threatening.  I see at least a few hundred of them every morning and evening, and I still find them as fascinating as I did as toddler.

Tuesday, March 22nd

A rare day at home.  Missed yesterday morning’s exercise due to oversleep – did go today.

Current weight: 195.8 wearing running clothes.  This is compared to 198.0 wearing a hoodie and jeans about half an hour ago.

Did some research last night on the extracts.  They are possible but will take time, and some will be best if bought in the store, supposedly.  There is precious little information on making mint extract the easy way.

Looks like I’ll have to buy some of these extracts.  I know a lot of them are available at Common Ground and Strawberry Fields, at decent prices.

Oatmeal for all 3 meals today.  O_o

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Current weight (different scale): 194.8 pounds.  This was after brunch and some water, and an early morning jog.

UPDATE: Weight as of 8 PM, after a jog, rehydration and a corned beef dinner is the same.

Here’s the plan.

I’m currently on Spring Break.  When I get back, I will decide what cake flavors to set as rewards for meeting my goals.  I want to be 190 pounds by the 26th, and maintain that past the 28th, before I unlock my first flavor as my reward.  The next reward will be unlocked if I drop to 185 pounds between April 2-5, and hold it for at least two days.

The flavors will be applied to my staple, madeleines, as I develop new flavors in preparation for the future.  I will make my own extracts; I know for a fact that I can get rose hips, rose buds, hibiscus blossoms, jasmine blossoms, German chamomile blossoms, various teas and dried fruits, easily and cheaply.  There may be other flavoring agents to find, such as fresh mint, and I can also use various spices.

I currently have Lavender extract going at the apartment.  This will be the first flavor unlocked.

Kickoff

Current weight: 199 lbs

So my sister and I recently came up with an interesting new incentive plan for my weight loss goals. I’ve been less than faithful to them after some initial success and am taking this opportunity to get back on track.

One of my passions is baking; this is a bit more of an obsession, but more on that later. I particularly enjoy developing my own recipes or variations on existing recipes.

The plan:
1) Every five pound goal I meet and hold for three days unlocks one cake flavor
2) My goal is to be at 175 pounds by May 6th, when the Farmer’s Market opens

I will be running, lifting, biking and maybe hiking as part of this plan. If you have any advice to share, I’d love to hear it.

Thanks!