Ok, not that kind of spirits really… well sorta, one is beer.
As a way to start getting in to the holiday spirit, I thought I would share a few videos.
First the classic Coke (not to be confused with Coke Classic) commercial from 1984.
Then also from the 80′s, the Budweiser Clydesdales commercial. Personally I prefer the dalmatian, even tho he only makes a brief cameo.
And finally, a musical interlude featuring Trans Siberian Orchestra and a guy who sync’d up a few lights to flash in time to the music. There’s been a few of these, I like this one done to A Mad Russian’s Christmas, very good use of color and balance of lit objects. It’s a short version, so just hit the related videos after for more.
A few years back I was involved with a living-history/re-enactment group. Our focus was Scottish history during the early 1600′s, specifically a recruiting camp moving through Scotland recruiting for Gustavus Adolphus for what would later be known as the 30-Year War. We would put on demonstrations on what daily life was like during this period, from the military training down to the cooking of meals.
One of the demonstrations I did was for candle-making, primarily with bees wax, but I also used tallow a couple times. Below is something I wrote up based on my research, and would keep a few printed copies on hand to show to folks that expressed the interest. The following appears pretty much as I wrote it back in early 2005. Continue reading →
I have way too many blogs and such in my RSS reader on Bloglines. If I don’t keep on top of it, I’ll easily have 4-5,000 new posts in a matter of days.
For the most part I just skim about, looking for stuff that catches my eye… and that’s what I’m doing tonight. I thought I’ld share some of the best.. or maybe worst… of what I came across.
First up… a little something to get you in the Christmas spirit… jingle bells, played using microwave ovens, thanks to Gizmodo.
So… even with Thanksgiving tossed in to the mix, since November 26th, depending on the scale, I have lost between 10 and 14 pounds. Yea… that’s close to a pound a day. Checked in with the Doc today… on their scale it was 10# from when I stopped in on the 26th for some blood work. But I was about 3-4# heavier on the scale at the Dietitian on the 25th… so I dunno… but it’s progress.
It isn’t easy. I finished dinner an hour ago and I’m hungry. And no, I did not eat Chinese. But I have to keep remembering, it hasn’t even been two weeks yet.
Doctor seemed a bit surprised at the 1500 calorie a day thing. He thinks if I stay around 2000 I’ll be just fine. And I probably have been closer to 2000 than 1500. Yesterday I was out running around a bit… and had Subway for lunch. Turkey breast and cheddar on wheat, lettuce, onion, green pepper, cucumbers, black olives, pepper and a bit of the chipotle sauce. Didn’t really need the sauce, but honestly.. Subway food is so bland. Then I went to a movie with a friend… (Punisher… great flick if yer just looking for guns and blood and nothing too deep) and I ate popcorn. Quite a bit of popcorn.
And today… on the way home from the doctor… we were getting major snow, it was rush hour, I knew it was going to take me an hour to get home (ended up being hour and ten minutes) so I swung through Arby’s and got a regular roast beast. They’re on special for 99 cents. They’re good. I am a carnivore… I like my meat, and I especially like beef. That one sandwich, bout 320 calories. So yea, I’m definitely pushing 2000 today.
But overall, I’m doing good. One egge, two toast, (and I’m using maybe a teaspoon of butter per slice), 1/2 banana and some yogurt for breakfast. Lunch was salad with spinach, carrots, onion, green peppers and a tortilla wrap of chicken, lettuce, onion cheddar and a bit of Miracle Whip. Dinner… a 1/3# burger patty – broiled, two slices of wheat bread, cooked carrots, some yogurt, and I sauteed some green beans in a tiny bit of olive oit with some chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. They were the “fries” to go with my burgers.
Has just the thought of surgery given me the push to change? Still too early to know. Yea… the slip ups with the popcorn, and the Arby’s aren’t huge. But will they continue? Will they snow-ball? Can I get to the point where 2000 calories a day will fill me up?
Right now… WLS is “Plan A”. All this I’m doing right now is what I “have to do” in order to have that surgery… so I can feel full. And I have to do this another 60+ days… by then will WLS become “Plan B”?
So many… “I don’t know’s”.
Just have to keep pluggin’ away I guess… see what happens.
I’ve gone to the gym every day since Saturday. They have a walking track, that’s all I did Saturday was walk. Four laps around the track, bout 150 steps each lap, took about 10 minutes. Then I had to take a break, my lower back would start to hurt. Five minutes off, then another four laps… another break… four more laps. Bout 30 minutes total. It’s a start, right?
The scale in the locker room only goes to 350. Does me no good. I was hoping to use the scale there to track my weight… but that’s what I need to get to .. and yea, I could keep checking till I get under that, but that doesn’t help me check my progress. Feh, got home and ordered a 440# scale off Amazon. Guess it won’t hurt to have one here at home. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a scale before… other than my 5# kitchen one.
Sunday… first 10 minutes on the track, then decided to do the treadmill. Two 10 minute sessions, half-mile each. So that puts me at walking a mile and a half each of those two days.
I was going to skip Monday… but decided not to, so had to go home and grab my bag and then go. Good thing it’s only bout a mile and a half from my house. Went back, decided to jump on the treadmill, made it five minutes and started feeling sore. The grab bars are just a bit too low for me, and for some reason I’m not quite coordinated enough to walk on there without holding on. Moved over to the recumbent bike and did two, ten minute rides on there. Couple miles each time I think.
Been doing pretty good on the meals. I don’t know if I’m keeping under 1500… according to what I put in the meal tracker at sparkpeople.com I am… but it just seems like … I dunno. The watered down Gatorade I drink probably adds a few calories, but less than 100 I would think. And I did have a treat the other day. I was cleaning out a cooler in the garage and found a Snickers bar in the lid compartment. Kinda frozen. I cut it in to four pieces (was a regular size bar), put three in a baggie in the freezer and ate one.
It was good.
It was really good.
But I only ate that one bit, the rest is still in the freezer. And I’ve been eating some snacks here and there. 100 Calorie packs of pretzels, fat-free pudding cups, LOTS of dill pickles. (hey… it’s only bout 15 calories!) And I’ve been trying to be creative with my meals. Tonight I marinated a portabella mushroom cap in some italian dressing, then broiled it. Then flipped it over, put a thin slice of onion, some feta crumbles, and some seasoning and broiled it some more. Yea, I probably shouldn’t have had the feta.. but it’s been in my fridge for over a month.. and I keep the portions to the 1oz, but since I was havint 3oz of steak… I kinda went over on my protein portions for today. Sliced up the left over steak I used and put it on a piece of “Not So Wheaty Bread” and did the same bit of feta and seasonings before broiling that too. Both were very good.
Oh yea… Monday I was with one of the sales guys at the gym (paid the first month and set up fees for my dad to join the gym) and decided to suck it up and ask someone at the gym if they had a larger scale. He showed me one in the personal trainer office. 364.8 – yea… if that’s in tune with the one I stepped on at the doctors last Wed, I’m down nearly five pounds… in as many days.
So…. if I can stick to eating 1500-2000 calories a day will I lose weight? Of course. Will I keep it off? I… don’t think so. I wouldn’t say I’m starving… but I am going hungry each day. I’m snacking at times of the day I wouldn’t normally… which may not be bad… but I’m not getting FULL with my meals. I think what’s going to keep me going for the next few months is that I have to put up with this as part of getting the surgery. The point of having such a surgery is so that when you eat these tiny amounts, you feel full and you stay feeling full until the next meal. I think I had two dill pickles and a sugar free fudgecicle on Sunday… cause I wasn’t feeling full ever. Yesterday wasn’t as bad… cause I was more distracted and busy at work.
Sure, it has been less than a week, but already I think I’m seeing better than just last week how WLS will help. Cause I am eating right… but I’m still hungry. So I know I can eat right, I’ve always known I can… but I am going to need help to eat less. Not sure there is any other way of getting around that. And it’s not like I am not drinking enough water. I drank about 10 cups just at work today. Another cup at the gym, cup of V8 before breakfast, and I’m sure I’ll go through another 2-3 cups before bed yet. And yes.. even tho it doesn’t effect me like it would post-op, I’ve stopped drinking with and for awhile after meals.
So to keep this working long haul, I think I need the right tool.
A few years back I was involved with a living-history/re-enactment group. Our focus was Scottish history during the early 1600′s, specifically a recruiting camp moving through Scotland recruiting for Gustavus Adolphus for what would later be known as the 30-Year War. We would put on demonstrations on what daily life was like during this period, from the military training down to the cooking of meals.
