Days 109-117: UP and DOWN

Once back from Thanksgiving I've been back to high protein, veggies, and BEANS! Hummus is my best friend these days as even opening a can of beans seems to take too much time and effort! We've been very busy with work and rehabbing a rental that we wanted to lease by January 1! When all margin in life goes, guess what? So does food prep! So the days of making dishes and sharing have gone by the way side and it's been every man for himself. I can tell you that has made it harder to stay on the diet and to eat well.

Yesterday I came unprepared for lunch and ended up eating a brownie for lunch! oh my, how far I've fallen! Well, the house is now completed and rented so no more excuses!!!

I have had some good days too. My wife and daughter are now eating along with me and that has helped to have another cook contributing to the meal offerings. This is a salad Deanna put together for us that we've eaten off of breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Usually for breakfast I'm solid. I feel as though I singularly support the egg industry! Pulling some turkey sausage from the freezer is easy, and if we've made some bean and veggie salads ahead then grabbing a cup of that is easy as well. I made up the broccoli-bacon-slaw last week. That is definitely a winner for all - healthy and really tasty! I believe I've blogged that recipe in the past and if I was a really good blogger there would be a link (HERE) for it...but since life is full, you'll have to use your imagination! :-)

And finally, just so I don't disappoint my "Cheat Day" fan club, even though I've been cheating during the week, I somehow still feel that I deserve a major cheat on Saturdays! A few days ago that meant I started at Juicy-Os and had my fill of donuts, a skillet and pancakes. Christmas cookies were sprinkled through the day and a treat-filled Christmas celebration with my sister and her family. So no fears, I kicked that metabolism way up!

Days 97-108: Hanging In There

The last few weeks have been hard. Coming back from thanksgiving vacation with sugar coursing through my veins made for a very hard return to a strict "no sugar for 6 days diet." That coupled with the increase of Christmas goodies around the office and house has led me to a new concept of "cheat hours."
It hasn't all been bad. I've had moments of sheer low carb genius like the 3-bean salad below made in the time it took to open the three cans!

Of course on Saturday I enjoyed cheating, despite the fact I had been doing so the whole week prior! I enjoyed my French Toast layered with peanut butter and bananas...Elvis would have been proud!

Starting last Sunday I did get back on track and for the most part have eaten well. My weight is up about 3 lbs from my lowest (now at 162) and I still have to use the lowest notch on my belt...so all in all I think I've kept the body fat percent pretty close to my last BodPod measurement.

I'm expecting that from now until the New Year there will be intermittent cheating...but I'm OK with that. If I can maintain where I am I'll get back to taking off the last few percents in January. So Happy Holidays to all!!! (Note the very small serving size! ha!)





Days 87-96: Thanksgiving Vacation

But first a confession to my faithful blog flowers (yes, all three of you!), the last two weeks have had more packed into them than should be allowed by one human being. Mostly all good things mind you, but nonetheless, things that took my attention away from posting on 12percentJohn. And I wonder if not having to sit down and really think about what I was eating, showing you pictures, telling you stories about my journey made it easier for me to cheat.

And cheat I did on Thanksgiving vacation.  That wouldn’t have been so bad if the vacation had been a few days, but our entire family went to Florida to spend a week at my parents home. Dad decided that he was tired of 80 degree weather and casting into the surf, so he had headed to the cold North and went hunting for turkey, deer, and bear – oh my!

John, Katherine, Deanna on the water

They say that when you go back to your family of origin you also go back to old habits and patterns of relating. Well in my case that means back to old habits of having dessert after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I’m not joking. The first night we arrived we went to a great deli called TooJays. www.toojays.com after consuming a piece of killer cake for dessert we took home a box of Rugalach to have for breakfast.

Ben with his Nan at TooJays

That set the tone for the week and I mentally threw in the towel and decided I was on vacation, I had good food available to me, I wasn’t going to stress about it, and I’d still control how much sweet I ate. Hmmmm, well that last point didn’t happen. To say that sugar is a drug is no exaggeration. Man that stuff gets in my system and I just crave more of it. You know I’ve been really good on this diet in that regard, but not Thanksgiving week!!!

The Pumpkin Chiffon Pie I made for Thanksgiving Dessert

I came home with 8 more pounds than I’d left with and because I was not working out as actively I’m sure that weight gain was both muscle loss and fat gain. The fun was over…it was time to get back on track! And finnaly a picture to leave you with that will paint the picture...

lunch dessert! Chocolate Ganache filled cupcakes and more!

Days 80-86: What?! A Week Already?!

My dad always said that the older he got the faster time went by for him. And guess what? It's TRUE! This last week felt like a blink of the eye. So give me a second to think about what this week held for me in my march to 12 percent!

I know that I was determined to be good in what I ate knowing that Thanksgiving was coming, and I'd have to say that I did pretty well. There were some momentous times like the day I said NO to pie at work for our pre-Thanksgiving Pie Day. But there were also times when the guys broke out the pizza and beer and I was sitting there thinking, "and why am I not enjoying myself tonight?" And then there were the 100% perfect meals like Kale and chick peas paired with pork and onion.

But the big news of the week is that my wife and daughter have officially joined me and are following the low carb diet. Which means my food is being eaten more rapidly and we need to come up with some other plans to keep us all in the goods!

For example, this morning in the rush of getting ready for church I discovered no bean and veggie option so I opened some cans and wa-lah, produced a three bean salad that was very tasty with eggs and turkey sausage. To make just mix: 2 cups string beans, 2 cups black beans, 2 cups chick peas, 1/2 cup red and green diced peppers, 2 tablespoons each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt & pepper.

Yesterday for cheat day I did my best to pack in orange juice, an apple, cheese danish, trail mix, a pretzel bread sandwich with chips, soda, fries, a vanilla milk shake, a calzone, beer, chocolate flourless cake with whipped cream, ginger cookies, Butterfingers, and a yummy breakfast of peanut butter-banana-french toast!!! Long Live Cheat Day!!! (I gained four pounds in case you were wondering.)

Days 76 - 79 Perspective

On the food guilt scale I'm tipping it...my true confession on the last post did little to keep me from continuing to cheat on Thursday when I had pizza and beer with the guys in the evening. Friday I did well, and even went out to lunch with my co-workers to a new BBQ place that opened up by our office.

(...and the winner is.......!!! yeah, BBQ for a year!!!)

Getting my BBQ with no bun and a side of jalapeno beans fit the diet really well, especially the large dill pickle on the side! I liked that Dickey's puts the sauce on the side so you get the pure pork with out all the sweet sauce.

Saturday was "no biggie" as a cheat day, since I had already been grazing in the sugar meadow. I even thought I may skip the day as I hadn't really earned it...but that was a quickly dismissed thought!

I started the day with biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Then after gutting a kitchen, with the help of Ben and Luke, I figured I had earned a "manly" lunch...

so a Stallone burger from Jack Straws with those delicious fries and a root beer was the perfect thing!

In the evening we went to my sister's house to celebrate my wife's and my niece's birthday. We had a delicious smorgasbord and my big cheat was the mashed potatoes where I had a constrained helping...even the seconds... But the highlight of the night was blowing out the candles and cutting into the desserts.

I made a millionaire pie (Deanna's favorite) and my sister made a chocolate flourless (because you can never have too many desserts). Some of you have been lucky enough to have one of my millionaire pies that is "so rich" it is self named.

Today, Sunday, was no exception to my "cheating week" and this afternoon I had a small sliver of the leftover pie because, apparently, I hate to see good food go to waste more than I hate to see love handles. But I have to remember, it's all perspective...right? In the old days I would have had a sweet roll at breakfast and then a large piece of pie...probably two, after lunch. And then after dinner I'd have some other sweet.

Tomorrow is the start of a new week and I'm resolved to make this a non-cheating week! With Thanksgiving coming and heading to Florida I want to save my cheats for another time when they will be "worth it." So if you see me loosing my resolve you have my permission to ask, "so how's that 12 percent goal going?" It's the perspective I want to have!

Days 68-75: A Week!?

Has it really been a week since my last post? Not surprising when I think about all that has transpired in that time! Dealing with contractors, preparing and attending a Thur-Sun retreat (see picture below), work, family, meetings, and trying to stay on this diet!

I was concerned about being away for three days and what I’d eat. As it turns out I was able to make good choices and my only regret was not having enough Diet Gone Wild food at my disposal on Saturday to feel like I sufficiently cheated! As it turns out I made up for it last night and today! (Celebrating my boss’s 50^th b-day with half a muffin and another co-worker’s 40^th with a piece of cake.)

It is still hard to not beat myself up when I “cheat” during the week. But at some point I will need to settle into a “maintenance mode” that will consist of letting me have some extra carbs along the way. I really don’t want to save them all up for Saturday, so I guess this is a good test…as least that is what I’m telling myself today!

Day 67: Best Ever Diet Food

When you hear the word "diet," what foods come to mind? Carrot and celery sticks? All in one diet drinks? Low-fat ice cream worthy of the sink drain? If so, then you need to change your thinking with today's post!

Caraway-Spiced Chickpea Stew with Mint Yogurt
(adapted from May 2011 Food and Wine magazine)

2 large cans of chickpeas (or you can do the whole dried bean-soaking-cooking thing)

4 large carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil (keep bottle handy…it’s used throughout)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large onions, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tablespoons dried mint

Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until barely tender.

In a large skillet, heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and caraway and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is golden about 15 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the chard leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes.

Add the carrots, chickpeas and 1 cup of water and simmer over low heat for 6 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix the yogurt with the mint and 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

What you end up with is a delicious Mediterranean Stew that is smooth and savory! This is the Best Ever Diet Food!!!

Days 65-66: Back to Business

I had thought that on Sunday I'd get back on track, but honestly, I was still in celebration mode! Besides we had Edik over for breakfast and the guy loves American pancakes! You can't let a Ukrainian eat alone so I dove into a stack of pancakes iced with peanut butter. For lunch I had a big salad because I knew dinner would be a CARBFEST! And it was...stuffed pizza, beer, and an Alhambra (if you know what this is, I'm impressed)...this cake was made in honor of Justin who crossed the 400 pound thresh hold in a recent dead lift! Way to go Justin!!! And way to go Renne' for making this cake for us...every single gram of fat was worth it!!!!

...oh and a second dessert of chocolate cupcakes stuffed with salted caramel was also in the offering...and I accepted!!! (I think Sue, Katie, and Anne enjoyed theirs too.)

By the time my head hit the pillow Sunday night I was completely and utterly STUFFED. While I enjoyed the taste of each goodie, I have to say that I did not like how I felt for most of the evening. I much prefer my normal diet week and how I feel eating lean. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll indulge in the future, but I was glad that Monday was coming and I'd be able to get back to my routine.

So today it was eggs, sausage, and black beans for breakfast; chili for lunch; and a tasty Indian inspired spinach/sausage/bean sauté for dinner. I was back to business and the march to 12 percent!

Day 64: THIRTEEN-POINT-EIGHT

I was shocked, to put it mildly, with my results today! I knew that I had been keeping to the diet and had said “no” to lots of goodies in the last five weeks, but I also knew that I had extended cheat days and had allowed myself a few treats along the way. I KNEW that I’d be in the 15% range (I was at 16.3% five weeks ago). I HOPED to be at 15.5%. I WISHED to be at 15.3% (I had lost .9% in the first four weeks, certainly with a five weeks I could drop one whole percent!).

When you measure your body fat using the Bod Pod you first step on the scale.  Hearing I’d lost 6 lbs from the last time was expected. My pants are all falling off me without a belt so I knew that I was headed in the right direction. But it was a SHOCK when I stepped out of the Bod Pod to see the results on the computer screen – 13.8% body fat!!!  I never would have thought that I would drop that much.

	8/27/2011	9/24/2011	10/29/2011	LOSS
weight	172 lbs	166 lbs	160 lbs	12 lbs
waist	37"	35"	33.5"	3.5"
% fat	17.2%	16.3%	13.8%	3.4%

 While talking to the technician, who has been running these tests for us, he said that often it takes the body a bit to recalibrate and that once it senses the new diet you see greater results weeks into the diet. It makes me wonder if people would hang in there longer with weight loss programs if they would be encouraged to keep at it. I know I certainly am!!!

To celebrate; Don (who did not test because he has cheated WAY too much this month), Chad (who dropped an amazing 3.7%), and I promptly headed for Juicy-O (www.juicyo.com ). Yes, that heavenly breakfast establishment where they bring you donuts instead of rolls. It took a while to figure out what I wanted, but it was worth the wait…a delicious eggs, potato pancakes with sausage gravy and sausage was the start and was finished off with shared cinnamon roll and creme brulee French toast.

What a great way to start my cheat day (cheat weekend actually – there is a deep dish pizza coming Sunday night)!!!  So I’ll be moderating my cheating so I don’t undo all my hard work to get to this place. It makes me wonder how much longer it will be till I hit my 12% goal.

Days 61-63: Extra Credit

After last weekend I knew I had my work cut out for me. Gaining too much weight over the weekend didn’t put me in a good spot for tomorrows Bod Pod evaluation. So I’ve been working really hard to make good choices this week.

But I’ve felt caught in a dilemma. On the one hand I have a very clear goal and I’m seeing results. The importance to me to hit my goal is high. On the other hand I like sweets. Good sweets. And this week I’ve had two days in a row of tempting options.

Wednesday was “pie day” for our monthly pie club at work. Yes, we really do have a pie club at work! Cathy brought in a Paula Deen Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream. OK, that sentence had many words that I REALLY like! I decided I’d cut a piece and save it for my cheat day (Saturday). But I couldn’t let everyone else around me ohh and ahh over the pie so I had three small bites to taste it. I savored each bite and it was delicious. I took it back to my desk and in the late afternoon I had a few more bites…just to keep my metabolism going (it’s amazing what we tell ourselves).

Thursday Anne brought in a cake iced with the most delicious vanilla bean butter cream you’ve ever put in your mouth. Wow, that would have tasted great with my coffee. But this time I cut a piece and put it in a Tupperware container to keep it fresh for Saturday. I was glad I made that choice. Now I can look forward to enjoying it tomorrow.

Today is Friday, so Jan will be showing up with donuts or bagels, or some other high-carb treat to celebrate the end of the week. At least I don’t feel tempted. I made a pot of coffee and will enjoy some fresh ground Peruvian SHG by I Have a BEAN. I'll enjoy the goulash that Don made for lunch (as I did yesterday) and will have a big salad for dinner tonight.

So I’d say, I get some extra credit this week. I’ve stuck to my diet and have said NO to things that normally I would have gone back for seconds! My hope is that my “gold star” will come in the form of the Bod Pod operator telling me my body fat percent has dropped from the last measurement. If so, then my food choices will have been worth it.

Days 59-60: Everything is better with BACON

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while…actually I haven’t made anything in a while. I’m back on track and adapted a recipe I saw in the November 2011 Food and Wine magazine. It was simple to make and tastes great!

Beet-Cabbage-Bacon-Lentil Slaw

1 cup green lentils
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces sliced bacon, cut into ¼” pieces
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lbs beets cut into ½” pieces
½ cup chopped parsley
1 head of cabbage cut into 1” pieces

In a pot cover the lentils with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add salt and simmer until lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a small bowl whisk the oil with lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl toss the beets, parsley, cabbage and lentils with the dressing.

Days 56-58: Marriage and Diet Retreat

No, I'm not quiting my diet, I just had an extended DGW! My excuse is that I was with my wife at a Marriage Retreat (sorry to burst your bubble) that made sticking to the diet a challenge. I took dinner with me for Friday evening so I was able to complete my week successfully. Unfortunatly there were no scales to weigh in Saturday morning so I'm not sure where I was at my eight week mark.
Saturday I joyful woke up knowing that I was eating out for three meals and that there would be some new places to check out. The first was breakfast at The Original Bagel and Bialy www.originalbagelandbialy.com in Buffalo Grove. A Jewish deli that provided an avacado-jalapeno omelet, potatoe pancake, a bialy (like a bagel but different), and challah bread french toast!

For lunch we went to Buffalo Resturant and Ice Cream Parlor  (also in Buffalo Grove) which is a Greek resturant with 1001 options on their menu. But the real reason I choose this palce had to do with the parlor! My burger was fair to poor, but the pecan hot fudge sundae piled with whipped cream was divine!!!

By the time dinner rolled around I was still stuffed...the cookies in the afternoon didn't help...so we chilled in the evening and then headed out at 9:00 to Winberie's (I'd highly reccomend this to you!)(www.selectrestaurants.com/cafew/buffalogrove.php) for a light snack. I had a delicious Point Belgian White ale to go with the pita chips and artichoke dip. And then not feeling quite full decided to end my cheat day with a piece of bannana cream pie. If I only knew then what I now know...

...that come this morning I'd be heading into a day where I was not prepared to eat "on diet." I was still "retreating" and so breakfast consisted of a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. Not exactly fat burning.

We went to Chili's for lunch with friends and I manged to do fairly with choosing a salad and ribs. But the cookie in the afternoon wasn't exactly fat free!

We left the Retreat and headed home. The boys asked us to pick up dinner so we opted for the Village Tavern where I got a burger...yes, it had cheese on it...and a bun...and yes, I had some fries with it...oh and yes that was a Spotted Cow that paired so nicely with it...hmmmm this day wasn't ending very well.

So here's the truth - I had a retreat...to improve my marriage...and from my diet...I'm motivated to improve my marraige and I'm motivated to get back on my diet and make good choices this coming week. Next Saturday I will step into the bod pod so I'm highly motivated to eat well this week. I've worked too hard to let it all go to pot now!

Day 55: Celebration worthy of Carbs

Thursday was a strange day. My work day started with face planting while coming into my office and ended with a bicyclist darting in front of me for a near fatality! I was rattled...but during a men's group that I'm a part of I did some "good work" and the guys wanted to celebrate with me! So I was obliged to accompany them to the Lucky Monk. Lucky me!

They have their own Oktoberfest brew on tap so I skipped the beans for my carbs and went straight for the hops. Some Fish-n-Chips (minus the chips) was the perfect pairing.

I must admit that although I conscientiously made the decision to celebrate and go off-diet a bit, I feel guilty. I feel like I'm flushing the whole diet down the tubes when in reality I've choosen more carbs than usual and will make up the gap in the days to come. Maybe I won't hit my 12 percent as soon, but I will have let myself live a little in the meanwhile.

One last lesson learned came at the end of my meal when Bob offered me some of his caramel-apple bake with ice cream. I knew I didn't want all that he was offering, but one spoonful (one teaspoon sized spoonful) was all I took...and needed...and really wanted. I was content with that little sweet and a chance to see if I'd have that dessert in the future. I don't have to binge to enjoy.

Days 50-54: The New Normal

Sunday was a big day - my 50th day on the march to 12%. That's kinda big I think. There's lots of people that never do anything for 50 days straight, right? Shoot, some people don't even brush their teeth for 50 days straight! So what better way to celebrate than with a party. Thanks to Alex we had a family birthday lunch at his Aunt's already arranged. The sad part for me was missing out on my sister's homemade pizzas!

Instead I loaded up on salad, a left-over chicken stew and the grilled veggie toppings available for the pizza. It was a delicious and low-carb meal that was appropriate for celebrating my 50th day!

The rest of this week has settled into a routine that is now my new normal. Up at 4:40, work out at 5:00, pull Tupperware out of the fridge at 6:00, and then eat a tasty protein-rich breakfast (I usually nuke several turkey sausage besides what comes out of the food containers). Bam, the fat starts burning and I'm ready for the day!

I knew my week was going to be very full and that I'd have no time to cook, so a text to my friends yielded "no worries, we've got you covered" and four different food options (and then soup arrived two days later)! I love this kind of dieting - it is the ONLY way to do it. I talked with a guy at work who has been trying to do this diet but without the benefit of a food-support-network. Guess what? Not working too well. In the press of life it's too hard to always have the right foods on hand and then you "have to" cheat.

Days 48-49: Little jump on Cheat Day!

Hmmm...seems to me that there's been a little more cheating going on these days! Loose fitting pants certainly gives me a good excuse though! When my wife starts rapping "pants on the ground" I feel free to start my cheat day Friday night! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday (day 48) was a beautiful day in Normal, IL where my daughter and I spent the day zig-zagging across the ISU campus getting her registered for classes, selecting dorms and meal plans, sitting in on financial sessions (yikes!) and taking in the vibe of campus.

The campus is a mix of old (note castle in the background) and new (their sports-rec center is beautiful). And when it comes to food, I was impressed with their offerings! We ate in the Watterson Dinning Commons and it was cafeteria on steroids. You name the ethnic cuisine and it was there! Italian, Chinese, Greek, American, Mediterranean...

As much as I wanted to break my diet I was good and made a huge salad with beans and at another station I choose two skinless chicken breast fresh off the grill. Katherine is on a one week detox and she sat there drinking her liquid lunch (maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, water). What a pair we made amongst the others with plates piled with cheese fries and burgers!

By dinner I was ready to start my cheat day early, so I had a piece of pizza and a beer. I was ready to get into "weekend mode." It tasted great and I enjoyed the pizza...took it in...and a cold beer (an artisan Wisconsin: Pikes Amber) was just right.

I also enjoyed some eye-candy food while watching The Help with Deanna and Katherine! If I lived in the South I'd be in trouble!!! Fried Chicken, sweet tea and the like isn't exactly great on keeping body fat low!

This morning I hit the French market and enjoyed a crisp Fall morning perusing my options! A stop at I Have a BEAN coffee (www.ihaveabean.com) got me started off well to then select a chocolate tartlet from the nun, crumb cake from the German bakery, and cinnamon sugar donuts from the college guys earning tuition money...I love supporting them!

We'll see how the rest of the day unfolds...I'm enjoying it so far!



Days 44-47: Yes, I'm still Dieting!

To my countless fans I need to assure you I am still on my diet despite the dearth of blogs the last two weeks. Life has been a bit crazy with travel, buying a rental house (do you know anyone who needs a house to rent starting in January 2012?), work, Leadership Project planning, helping two of my kids complete applications/registrations for college, and the list goes on!

Despite all of that I got back on the wagon this week and started eating strictly on my NO Grain, Sugar, or Dairy diet. Our group did some food swapping this weekend and into the week (thanks for the lentils and beef I got this morning, Nadine).

For breakfast I've been having the spinach quiche, bacon slaw, and kidney bean and kale "stew." It is the most savory, tasty breakfast foods you'll ever have. It beats a bagel any day!

Things were going along swimmingly when my son decided to throw in his 18th birthday yesterday! His request was Village Tavern chicken fingers (if you've never had them don't scoff) and his favorite dessert - a strawberry-chocolate-whipped cream cake!!!

Now just to show you the kind of father I am, I was willing to have a mini-mid-week-diet-gone-wild-cake-eating just for my son! I'm not bragging, I'm just saying I was willing to do this for him! The light fluffy cake layered with thick chocolate and fresh strawberries and mounds of whipped cream was a sacrifice I was willing to make!

Never to fear, my CrossFit workout this morning kicked butt and I burned off any fat that was consumed last night! Phew...at least I should be holding my new base line...which is now 160 lbs and about 16 percent body fat.



Days 39-43: Less Blogging, More Cheatin, but Less Fat

This week has been a challenge on two fronts. First, staying strictly on my diet while on the road has been hard. Second, keeping up with my blog with limited Internet access makes for difficult communication!

When I got back from Florida I had a work trip in Wisconsin that involved more cheating and less blogging. By the time I got back it was Saturday and I was able to officially have my Diet Gone Wild cheat day.  I weighed in Saturday morning and was surprised to find that I had lost 5 pounds! I suppose all that activity in Florida did me some good!

So far on this diet I’ve looked forward to my cheat day with great excitement and have planned my eating carefully. But this time I wasn’t hungry and I wasn’t craving! What was wrong with me?!  I kept feeling like I should be eating more and more of the sweet stuff! But I wasn’t, and I decided I didn’t need to make the day like it has been in the past. I wondered if by cheating during the week I actually had diminished my need or desire for going wild.

Today (Sunday), I was back on track with my eating and have been a good little boy. At least so far, right now watching my kids and their friends enjoying  Culver's ice cream is leaving me craving!!!  I just can't win!

Day 38: True Confessions

OK, I'll cut to the chase...I cheated tonight. But before you judge me too harshly let me tell you why. My parents took us out to dinner to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, so who was I to say "NO" to the Italian Wedding Cake for dessert?! If it was our 24th I would have refused, but for our 25th? Come on, even 12percentJohn has to celebrate!

Besides, after a full day of working at the house I felt I had burned enough extra calories to offset such a lapse in my normally strict adherence to the diet. I'm sure that my thoughts that I will somehow undo all the good strides I've made in the last five weeks is completely unfounded. I really need to relax!

So there is my confession, I hope I've not caused any of you to stumble...I guess I'm just human.

Day 37: New House - Old Food

Today's menu was same ole, same ole...but the day was filled with new things. For starters my dad and I headed to the beach at 6:30 AM before the sun was up. Apparently fish like to be caught in the dark. A five minute drive, had us walking to the surf where my dad started to cast and I started to walk.

We were home by 8:00 and it was eggs, sausage, and beans for me! I must say that I'm really getting tired of beans. Not so much the flavor, but the effects they are having on my stomach. I've noticed that they've been bothering me this week and I really don't like it!  Grrrrrrr.

We headed to the new house and had a full day of painting, constructing, deconstructing, deciding, shopping, and cleaning. The place is looking great!

By the end of the day I was starving and don't you know that everyone decided to get gourmet pizza....except me! I was very tempted to cheat tonight...I was hungry, tired of the same veggie options, and my mouth could go for some pizza...but I prevailed and kept to my chicken and salad. Once again the non-dieters seemed to enjoy asking me countless times if I wanted any! Ah, no, I'm on a D-I-E-T.

So thus ends another day and I successfully navigated the temptations...partly because I know that I'll be cheating tomorrow night, and partly because I'm stuborn, and partly because I don't want to give in to food that won't get me to my goal!

Day 36: Beach and Beans

I think I could eat beans the rest of my life...if I ate them AT THE BEACH!!!

I enjoyed an hour at the beach this morning watching the sun come up while my dad fished and Deanna did some yoga. Having my toes in the sand is one of my favorite things in life, and now that my parent's have moved south, I plan on sandy toes more frequently!

When we got back to the house I quickly made up a tri-bean salad that has become a staple for this diet. Very simply mix:

1 can of kidney beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of black beans
celery, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion - all diced
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar

Stir and serve with some eggs and sausage and you're on your way to less fat...and if your lucky more beach!

Day 35: Multi-State Cheat Day

I ate my way from state to state on cheat day yesterday! As a result I felt a bit cheated! Catching a 5:30AM flight to Florida put a crimp on my cheat day, but I did my best to make up for lost time and opportunity!

The day actually started with the alarm going off at 3:10 AM in order to get to the airport, park and get through security. Speaking of, let me warn you that Chicago O'Hare airport has ONE security station opened, manned by TSA that is still waking up, and a line moving at a snails pace! I jumped the line in order to catch our flight with 5 minutes till they closed the planes door! All that activity left me rushing to buy a McDonald's sausage McMuffin and a slice of Starbucks Pumpkin bread to eat on the plane. Oh, and thanks Katie for those Chocolate Chip cookies I had saved from Friday. They were a nice landing treat!

When we arrived in Fort Lauderdale we caught the TriRail up to West Palm Beach where we exited to one the oldest railway stations along the rail line that once brought the Rockefeller's and friends to their Florida playground. Well it's our playground now as my parents have moved to Jupiter!

I was starving by this point so the hoagies and pineapple upside down cake with whipped cream was great! I also indulged with some lemonade to wash it all down.

The afternoon was spent wheel barrowing firewood and roofing tiles to the back yard to make room for some future construction in the garage and painting the master bedroom.

By dinner I was ready for some more cheating and was pleased to delve into to large pieces of lasagna, salad (going "wild" with almonds, cranberry, and cheese). It was a yummy treat with all that pasta and cheese...I enjoyed each bite!

The day was coming to a close and I was feeling like I had not cheated all that much. My mom, knowing my love of all things dessert had ordered a "Killer Chocolate Cake" at TooJays, a national deli chain that offers great treats for those on  a Diet Gone Wild!!! Strong coffee and a slice of this cake put me into a sugar coma that had me asleep at the end of a long day!

Day 34: Soups On

I want to start off by sharing a recipe for a white bean and chard soup that Don and Julie made and shared with the group. When I heard "chard" I was prepared for "bitter." But nothing doing for this soup, it is smooth all the way down! It was so good I had some with my breakfast!

White Bean and Chard Soup
4 TBL extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
Kosher salt
2 15.5 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves roughly chopped
Freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and 1 1/2 tsp salt and cook until the vegetables are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 TBL olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the roasted peppers, minced garlic and cilantro and cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chard, cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the pot and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.