Cellulose is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a polysaccharide (C₆H₁₀O₅)_x of glucose units that constitutes the chief part of the cell walls of plants, occurs naturally in such fibrous products as cotton and kapok, and is the raw material of many manufactured goods (as paper, rayon, and cellophane).

Deeeee-lish!

Cellulose products, gums and fibers allow food manufactures to offer white bread with high dietary fiber content, low-fat ice cream that still feels creamy on the tongue, and allow cooks to sprinkle cheese over their dinner without taking time to shred.  The rising cost of raw materials like flour, sugar and oil is helping boost the popularity of these additives.  Food-product makers use it to thicken or stabilize foods, replace fat and boost fiber content.

Cellulose comes in various forms, each with a specific use.  Beyond powdered cellulose, two other modified forms are common in food.  Microcrystalline cellulose is either listed as such on labels, as MCC, or in some cases as cellulose gel.  Carboxymethyl cellulose or cellulose gum, another modified version, is listed as such on labels.  Each gives foods a slightly different texture—from gelatinous to more liquid-like—because they trap varying amounts of air or water.

Powdered cellulose is made by cooking raw plant fiber—usually wood—in various chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified.  Modified versions go through extra processing, such as exposing them to acid to further break down the fiber.

The Food and Drug Administration sets limits on the amount of cellulose in certain foods like cheese spreads and jams.  The USDA also limits the amount of cellulose in meat products to about 1% to 4%, depending on the type, in order to meet the agency’s standards for protein content.

There are a ton of companies trading in on traditional ingredients in order to cut costs.  Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup?  Cellulose.  Pillsbury Pastry Puffs?  Cellulose.  Kraft Bagel-Fuls?  Fast-food cheese?  Sara Lee’s breakfast bowls?  Cellulose, cellulose, and morecellulose.

But the worst thing about cellulose is not that it’s everywhere.  The worst thing is that it is not food at all.  Cellulose is, unlike the actual, normal food items you think you’re paying for, completely indigestible by human beings, and it has no nutritional value to speak of.

Here is a video from KMBCTV detailing companies that use cellulose as an ingredient.

Keep this in mind the next time you reach for that “30% more fiber” improved product.

I just finished Week 1′s training for the upcoming Manchester Road Race.  I am moving from a 5 day a week to a 3 day a week workout routine.  This first week felt like I wasn’t pushing myself as far as I had in the past.  However, I realized that the day off in between sessions was very beneficial.  The routines became much easier by the end of the week.  This Week’s training was intervals of 60 second runs with 90 second walks.  In my opinion it was a very achievable goal.  The only thing that I disliked was that I had to run indoors, but more on that later.  Here are my notes for the week.

• Day 1:  Didn’t even make all the running portions of the workout.  Only made it 1.23 miles.  Ridiculous, not to mention that the muscles on the outside of my calves feel like they are on fire.  Need to get some rest.
• Day 2:  Showing improvement on the running sections.  I ran 1.53 miles in the same amount of time.   I find myself anticipating the changeover from running to walking and slowing down the treadmill early.  Also have an incredible amount of fatigue in my right ankle.  Need to remember to bring the ankle brace next time.
• Day 3:  Finally hitting a rhythm with this.  Hit all my running spots, increased my distance to 1.89 miles in the same amount of time.  Legs still feel like they are on fire after a workout, stretching post workout helps.

Treadmills are not my favorite machine in the gym.  I am still in the 350+lbs position, and with each step that I take it usually creates a loud thud.  Not to mention figuring out the best way to regulate my breathing without sounding like Fatty McGee from that old Adam Sandler album.  Social anxieties aside, I find that being surrounded by nature is much more soothing.  The breeze, the fresh air, and the changing terrain tend to add to the experience.

Now I am on track for Week 2.  The routines will move on to 90 seconds of running followed by 120 seconds of walking.  I am very much looking forward to running outdoors, weather permitting.  In closing, I was sent a fantastic video that shows me that I’m not missing so much by avoiding a party hard lifestyle.  Enjoy!

lol, I would have totally been able to break that beer bottle on my head

Fortunately for me I have shown improvement in my decision making.  The first thing I noticed was a dramatic change in the total price of the food I was buying.  A small side and a water is more than enough for a combo meal.  I didn’t feel the need to overeat, and in all honesty- I found myself throwing out uneaten food.  I have not gained or lost weight, and have kept myself within my daily calorie goals.  I even survived the Big E without knocking myself out of contention.  I felt things becoming stale, I needed some new activity, I needed to set myself a new goal!

Have you ever heard of the Manchester Road Race?  It is a 4.75 mile race that is held in Manchester, Connecticut on Thanksgiving Day for just about the past 75 years.  I have worked with people in the past that have trained for it, I have family members that run it, and you know what?  It is about time that I join them.  My self-challenge is what it will be like to run it.

Here is a breakdown of the resources I will be using while training:

• Couch to 5K- This is a widely accessible 9-week program found through various websites and apps.  You can find it here if you would like to check it out.
• Thrive by Brendan Brazier-  The thrive diet is a long-term eating plan to help all athletes (professional or not) develop a lean body, sharp mind, and everlasting energy.
• Nike+ – I have had success using this website and app in the past, it shows some of the best training methods gathered from a huge user database.

I will keep you posted as I go along, I think I’m going to call them 7.6K Friday’s… maybe.  I welcome any advice and information you can give me while I start training!  If you would like to know more about the Manchester Road Race, please click this link.  Maybe I will see some of you readers at it in 9 weeks!

1.  The average American Family eats Fast Food about 10 times a month

I am surprised that this number is not higher.  I did not partake in the survey, but I assume the questions were directed toward family meals at full service or fast food restaurants.  In my experience I had been eating out fast food almost daily while working.  Time was the one ingredient in a work day that I could not produce more of, so I often found myself cutting corners where I could.  I skipped breaks or took shorter lunches, often resulting in grabbing a quick meal at a McDonald’s or Wendy’s.  I would say that I ate fast food an average of 3 times a week on my own and 3 times a week as a family.  I was looking at about 24 times a month I was eating out simply because I did not invest the time in my health.

2.  69% of the surveyors are in favor of government mandated calorie reporting

I never ever ever reviewed the calorie counts for the amount of food that I was eating.  For example:  My favorite food at Wendy’s was two plain Spicy Chicken Sandwiches and a large Coke.  This calculates at an astonishing 1190 calories, almost half of a traditional 2000 calorie diet.   Let’s say that I was working a 4am to 5pm shift and had that meal for lunch.  I would get a call from my wife asking what was for dinner, seeing as I didn’t take the time for groceries we would decide on more fast food.  There is a Five Guys right up the street from us, and with the convenience of online ordering all I had to do was click what I wanted, pay for it via credit card, and then “walk to the front of the line” to pick up.  Great marketing and delicious product, but let’s look at the calorie count of my favorite meal.  A cheeseburger (with ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce), a bacon cheeseburger (with grilled onions, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce), and a large Coke.  This meal weighs in at an unbelievable 2,165 calories for one meal.  It was a good thing I don’t like french fries or I could look at tacking on an additional  310 calories for 1/2 of a regular order of fries.

I could sit here and say that the information wasn’t readily available for me, but that would be bullshit.  The information was there, I just never took the time to review it.  The places I chose to eat at are at the first and foremost a business.  They are going to do what they can to get you in the door.  A lot of places offer the nutritional information if you ask for it.  I agree with the 69% of people surveyed that there needs to be calorie reporting.  I also feel that there needs to be a greater awareness about the information available to the consumer.  Milk made me strong as a kid, I knew this because of the commercials for it showing the little kid growing up into a muscle-bound dude that is completely OK with the girl of his dreams only wanting him for his bod.

3.  The Healthy Options survey

The top five came down as Subway, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and KFC.  I certainly can understand Subway because they have been promoting their low-calorie and low-fat products ever since Jared put on a size of 32″ waist jeans.  The other companies that are now “recognized” for promoting healthy options came as a surprise to me.  I do know that Wendy’s and McDonald’s offer salads.  I don’t know of any healthy options at Taco Bell or KFC, so decided to look it up.

Taco Bell offers options called the “fresco menu”.  In fact they have a dedicated website for it called the “Drive-Thru Diet®”.  I have to say that I am impressed in how they are marketing it.  They are promoting the menu as not a weight loss program, but rather how to make healthier choices.  Taco Bell shows how to reduce the calorie count in their products by up to 100 calories.  Reading through the site showed me that Taco Bell fully recognizes that their products are not “low-calorie food”, but promote ways to reduce your caloric intake by opting for different things at their restaurants.  This is a great tool for those who look into their dietary intake.

I always associate KFC under their previous moniker of “Kentucky Fried Chicken”.  When I think of what to eat at KFC it usually is fried chicken, biscuits, and mashed potatoes w/gravy.  This isn’t a stretch since I grew up in Texas where chicken fried steak is a source of State Pride. (Texas has a way of being proud about weird things sometimes).

There is a Capital of Fried Food in Texas

I was surprised to see that they too are making an effort to promote some of their healthier choices.  They offer a free 30 day membership to eFit4Me, and even some health coaching by John Calipari.  KFC also points out the benefits of choosing grilled over fried, vegetables over biscuits, etc.  The info is there, but not without some effort in locating it.

Even though there are companies with healthier options, I would have never considered them without first looking into what is available.  Although they discuss lower calorie food and making better choices there is one glaring consistency across the nutritional charts at every restaurant.  The amount of sodium in each product.  Sodium is a key preservative, and I can see why it is so important for nationwide ingredient distribution.  However, high sodium intake can lead to higher blood pressure complications.  I could choose a salad at fast-food restaurant without realizing there was over 1300mg of sodium in it.  One regular cheeseburger at Five Guys contains 1350mg of sodium prior to adding any toppings or condiments.  Whew!

4.  The Survey Outtakes are hilarious

With comments like “Rule #1: don’t look inside the burrito.” and “How can a salad have 1,700 calories?” all I can do is laugh.  It seems that the surveyed members knew what they were getting into and gave honest opinions.  If you have a chance, check it out over at Zagat.  Zagat’s interview is also up on YouTube, you can click here if you would like to see it.

*Note: I had a blast digging up some of the info, if you are interested in where I looked or how I found it, please comment below!

The family and I have spent a few nights this Winter and even more this Spring without power.  Considering that we seem to lose power whenever a crow farts, I anticipated that we would lose power at the first wind gust of Irene.  Soon I found myself preparing just like every other family.  I had a backup plan as to where to go if we lost power.  I purchased plenty of batteries and kept candles readily available.  The bathtub was filled with water in case we needed it.  I purchased non-perishable goods to wait out the weather.  I figured out a backup plan to keep my iPhone charged so I could have an open way to communicate should I need it.  Dallas and I brought in all the outdoor plants and sealed up the house.  We called the grandparents to check in and make sure that everybody was all set for the incoming storm.

The evening of Irene’s arrival saw Dallas and I running around the house unplugging electronics and appliances.  The house was “going dark”, aside from the porch light that I left on for Kelly.  While completing my checklist at home, I felt terrible knowing that Kelly was going to be at work when the storm hit.  I was watching the news as I saw businesses all around her announce that they were closing early.  We decided to call her up to see if she was going to be coming home early, only to find out the opposite.  Kelly was going to be required to stay later.  It is not the best feeling in the world when a loved one is “required” to stay out during a storm that the state was shutting down in.  How was she going to get home when the major roads were being closed?  We went over the plan and said our good-nights.

I woke up to the sound of my screen door slamming against the house.  I looked next to me and sighed with relief when I saw Kelly sleeping.  Just past her I saw the outline of some frog pajamas and realized that Dallas had sneaked in after I had fallen asleep.  I disconnected my respirator and went downstairs to try to fix the door.  I opened up my front door to what looked like a scene from the movie “Poltergeist”.  The trees were whipping with the wind, rain was coming down sideways, and there were things flying around the air that shouldn’t be airborne: like a sandbox.  I secured the door, went back to the bedroom, and started checking updates through my phone.  The storm was on us and causing destruction across the state.

After a few hours the family woke up.  We headed downstairs and discovered that we were one of the fortunate households that still had power.  We checked in with friends and family and hunkered down to wait out the storm.  Since news is über-boring to a two-year old, it was not long before Dallas had us running around the house.  We played “Zombie on the Stairs” (whomever is “bitten” turns into a Zombie and chases the others to “bite” them, aka tag but with awesome zombies instead), colored on the floor, we read stories together, and even gave each other “tattoos”.

Even though we had encountered such a powerful storm, we made it through as a family.  We entertained ourselves by reading books and making up silly games.  Kelly and I worked hard to project a calm and collected house to Dallas.  We worked hard to inspire her imagination.  To Dallas the couch became a castle, the hallway became a dungeon, and she had two playmates that made the day go by so much faster.  It made me appreciate the things that my parents did when I was a kid to combat “cabin fever”.  In hindsight I am glad that I was prepared, I would much rather be ready for something and not have to use it.  It makes me wonder if these were the same concerns that my parents had when I was a child.  Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to remind you about what is important in your life and put things in perspective.

I thought back to my Sunday dinner experiences with my grandmother (who I called Mémère, which is French for grandmother).  Pépère had passed when my father was 10 years old, and I never had a chance to meet him.  Mémère had raised five children on her own.  My memories of her begin with her living in a tiny apartment having my family over for Sunday dinner.  Sunday dinner with Mémère didn’t always happen once a week, and as a child I did not always want to attend them.  I didn’t want to hang out in a tiny apartment with a tiny yard with my super annoying tiny brother.  I was constantly upset that I would be stuck in my church clothes for an entire afternoon.  I knew that I would inevitably do something to cause my little brother to cry, earn a grounding, and hear the “disappointed” speech from my parents.  Even though I felt that way as a kid, it isn’t how I feel as an adult.  I remember sitting down and talking with Mémère about school and what was going on in my life.  I remember how she genuinely took interest in my brother’s and my lives.  I remember how she used to laugh at even the dumbest of my jokes.  Mémère served us the best roast beef, mashed potatoes, and galettes I’ve ever had in my life.  All together I remember how much I miss those experiences.

Before I knew it Sunday dinners became more like going out to eat with Mémère after church.  We would pick her up after 11am Mass and head out to a Chili’s or Ruby Tuesday to sit and have a meal.  Mémère would argue with my Dad when the bill came, telling me that “You can’t put a price on memories.”  Sometimes Mémère would come home with us and hang out while my brother and I watched football.  Sometimes we wouldn’t go out at all, but drive down to my Aunt’s house for a family party.  Sometimes we would just drop her off after lunch and move on with our chores or whatever else was planned for the day.  All this happened before my young mind could grasp just what it was really missing out on.  I look back on these memories and wish that I could have known then what I know now.  Mémère had a way of teaching me things without me realizing it.  She taught the importance of good conversation with good company, and that you can find the most interesting points of view if you broaden your horizons.

I lost my Mémère shortly before my daughter was born.  She had met my fiancée before departing for Chicago to stay with my Aunt, but never got the chance to meet Dallas.  I received a picture from my Aunt the day Dallas was born showing a beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan.  I have always thought it was Mémère’s way of telling me that life goes on.  I still get upset knowing that Dallas will never have the opportunity to meet her and know how loving she was.  I know that Dallas deserves to know the things that Mémère taught me.

I am going to make an attempt at having a Sunday dinner at least once a month.  It is going to be an open invite, and anyone is welcome.  If my Mémère could make dinner work in her tiny apartment with no parking space, I owe her my best shot to make it work in my tiny condo with no parking space.  I am hoping that it will give Dallas some structure as to what family is all about.  I hope it gives Kelly and I a chance to relax and enjoy the company we keep.  I really hope that it becomes as fond a memory for my daughter as Mémère’s Sunday dinner memories have become for me.

I started the day with a moderate breakfast that was well under my meal average, coming in at a meager 300 calories.  I felt satisfied that I had begun my day well within reason, and thought that I could navigate through the event without compromising my goals.  My friend and I arrived at noon for the event.  We found ourselves rushed in the VIP entrance and brought up to our beer pairing event.

Shawn posing in the skybox above the field

The VIP event is where I lost focus of my long-term goal.  I was served a variety of great beers in 2oz cups paired up with some of the best food in the Hartford area.  I had eaten 6 beef kabobs, 5 chicken wings, 1 stuffed mushroom, 1/4lb of sausage and red cabbage, and two whoopi pies (one carrot cake and one chocolate).  I had also drank about 10 of the beer samples we were given, all prior to making it to the actual chili event.  It was a lot of fun talking about the different beers and trying the different foods.  I was talking with all sorts of different people and quickly lost track of how much I had already eaten and drank.

We left the group and decided to head down to the chili event.  There was all sorts of different samples throughout the event.  I ran into people who I hadn’t seen in years.  We had some conversations about which beers to try, and who’s chili was the best.  It wasn’t long before I lost count of the beer I was “sampling”.  I tried white Belgian ales, dark chocolate barleywines, and all sorts of different beers.  I had housed chili samples from all over Connecticut in 2oz cups.  Where I had exhibited self-control at a birthday party prior, I had tossed it all to the wind in a few hours.

In the midst of this rampant caloric melt down I ran into a former colleague.  He immediately recognized me and enthusiastically called me over to his booth.  We talked for a while about how the family was doing and what he was up to.  He mentioned that I was looking a lot happier and healthier than the last time we had met up.  His kind comment snapped me out of the state of mind I was in.  I felt a surge of remorse for what I had already put myself through.  I immediately struck the idea of checking out The Brewer’s Cow‘s beer ice cream from my mind.  I didn’t have a way of correcting my previous actions, but I had to find a way to deal with it and move on.  I asked Shawn if he wanted to take a few more laps around the stadium and then head out.  He was cool with it so we walked around for a while, turned in our voter’s cards, and decided to leave.

We finished the entire event within a couple of hours.  I had exceeded my goal by over 700 calories without a way to go burn them off.  I was not thrilled with my decision.  Shawn and I exited the stadium the complete opposite of where we entered the stadium.  We had a conversation about the event as we walked back to the car.  We talked about which chilis were our favorites, how awesome Dawley Brewing Co.’s Jalapeño Ale was, and how much fun we had.  I noticed that I could carry on the entire conversation without losing my breath.  I had fleeting memories of trucking my chubby butt around the salesfloor in my previous career, having trouble carrying conversations with my employees.  I remembered that the shirt I was currently wearing would only be worn under a vest at work to cover up how tight it was on me.  Yet here I was sporting the same shirt (now loose), climbing stairs, conquering inclines, and just plain moving around without missing a beat in the conversation.  In the eye of a defeat, I had a small glimmer of victory.

I finished the day strong.  I got home in the afternoon and helped clean the house up.  I had a 260 calorie dinner that consisted of roasted chicken and succotash.  Hint:  succotash is very filling, probably why it was a popular dish during the Great Depression.  Sunday had been such a vast difference from the previous day where I was surrounded by friends and family.  It seemed that when I was on my own I failed miserably.  I feel that I had lost some of my footing in one day, but now know how to better position myself to avoid similair results in the future.

Next time, I would pace myself to drink more Luchadores and have some beer ice cream

Shortly after our arrival I had a beer in my hand and the hosts were firing up the grill.  There was a plethora of snacks available and I was very happy to see a fresh fruit platter.  I had options!  I shared some grapes with my daughter, and before I knew it the burgers were served.  This would be where I  polish off two or three hamburgers.  Saturday I found myself content with just one.   I was very proud of this because that hamburger was good.  The burgers were made by hand and excelled in all the qualities I judge a good hamburger by, which usually leads me to housing a few more.  I tend to turn to hot dogs once the hamburger resources have been exhausted, at the party I ate one and was happy with that.  I even improved (by reducing) the amount of beer I drank.  Three quality beers over a four-hour period left me conversationally functional as opposed to seeing how far I could get through a 30 pack of Miller Lite.  It felt great having these minor successes, but the largest challenge was ahead of me.  It came in the form of an unbelievably good Buffalo Chicken Dip and the age-old diet challenger: the birthday cake.

One of my favorite things to eat is buffalo chicken.  I have a soft spot for chicken wings, chicken strips, roasted chicken, etc. with buffalo sauce.  I have competed in wing eating contests for both quantity and heat.  I have my picture up at Buffalo Wild Wings for holding their fastest time in the Blazin’ Challenge.  Coincidentally during the conversations I was involved in during the party, it had come up that I hadn’t been to Buffalo Wild Wings in 20 days.  It is really funny to me as I type that out, because a couple of months ago I could have easily been tracked to go there one or two times a week.  Unfortunately buffalo chicken tends to come in several different forms that are not always the best for your health.  Eating anything fried, breaded, dipped in ranch or bleu cheese dressing is not an effective way to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.  How was I going to resist housing a casserole dish full of dip that had this theme of paradise in it?  I couldn’t.  I had to think to myself that it was time to compromise, but I needed to do it in a smart way and also a way where I felt good about it.  I didn’t want to overeat and make other guests mad that they didn’t get to have any dip (believe me, I have executed similar manuevers in the past).  I found a way around this by partnering up with my daughter.  Dallas, being the picky eater she is, asked to dry some of the buffalo chicken dip.  One small scoop of dip was what I put on her plate and although she decided that it was “too hot” for her, the dip did not go to waste.  I was able to have a smaller portion, just enough to satisfy the craving, and put enough time between me and the dip.  Dallas and I finished our snack and by the time we got up and walked back to the dip- it had been mostly consumed.  Whew!

Few things in life can not be made better without cake.  Really if you think about it, cake is usually there for every celebration.  Weddings, graduations, birthdays, retirement, etc. will have some form of cake involved.  I have a short list of cake favorites: red velvet cake with cream cheese icing or vanilla cake layered with summer fruit (peaches and strawberries being my favorite).  The party involved the latter of the two.  I have been reducing a few key components of my previous diet: fat, sodium, sugar, and overall calories, while I work to attain better health.  I have had the most success with reducing fat and sodium, which in turn keep my overall calories significantly lower.  I am having difficulty reducing sugars.  Sugars can be found in places I had never thought of.  I have learned that carrots, beets, apples, and many of the fruits and vegetables I like most contain large amounts of sugar.  I was facing a double-doozie in the form of cake, icing, and my favorite summer fruits: peaches and strawberries.

I have always found difficulty politely turning down cake, especially at social functions.  How can one come across polite and not acting like a jackass or snob?  I pictured myself turning into a hardcore vegan that I used to hang out with.  She would always turn down food at a party if it didn’t meet her strict vegan standards and then lament about being hungry.  She never had a backup plan whenever we went out, and often after complaining to me about not having food to eat she would start to criticize my friends and their eating habits.  Fast forward several years and here I am on a restricted diet, searching for a way to tactfully decline participating in social traditions ingrained in me since birth.  I found it more simple than I could have imagined: “No thank you.”  That was all I had to say.  I wasn’t frowned upon or looked at sideways.  I didn’t get pushed towards a decision that I would regret later.  I had successfully navigated through something that I had built up in my mind as a bigger problem than it actually was.

It wasn’t long after Dallas started to show the attitude that a two-year old who didn’t take a nap tends to show.  Kelly and I said our thank-yous and our goodbyes and headed home.  I tallied up what I ate for the day and found myself right where I needed to be for my daily caloric intake.  I had even met my goals for fat, sodium, and sugars.  I learned a lot on Saturday and grew from my experience.  I had successfully changed my relationship with food during social events.  I learned that some things aren’t as big of a deal as you can make them out to be.  I learned that compromising is not the worst thing in the world and can be used to your advantage.  Most importantly, I learned that there is no substitute for sitting outside and enjoying the presence of friends, family, and nature.

We started off rerecording the initial health assessment that my first team workout consisted of.  Do you remember all those times in middle school gym class where once or twice a year you would see how many pushups and situps you could do?  Do you remember the “sit and reach” stretch where you have to slap the box to see how far you can stretch?  Turns out that the classics are still the best, because that is exactly how I spent my health assessment.

When I started the challenge I weighed an astounding 409lbs.  This morning  I weighed in at an estimated 365lbs.  I say estimated because when you are as heavy as I am the balance scale requires a small adapter and some basic math to calculate your weight.  It is not the most accurate method, but after trying several different scales we took the average of the three weights.  I lost 44lbs since I started six weeks ago.  That is pretty much the equivalent of losing two people the size of my daughter off of my body.  I was excited because I paid for that improvement with every ounce of sweat i worked out of me, but the good news wasn’t stopping there.  I had also dropped my body fat percentage by 4.3%, which put me in the 30%-40% category.  I had started in the 50% range when I first started in June, and had worked myself into the mid 40% range by the time I started the challenge.  We moved on to push ups where I improved the amount of reps by 100%, same result with sit ups.  I was excited to see where I would end up on the sit and reach, and made a vast improvement there as well.  Improving your numbers are always a great motivator.

The end of the workout brought up an interesting conversation.  I discussed with my coach just how much the Y had already changed my lifestyle.  I talked a bit about why I signed up and what the team at the Y has done for me.  I told her about just how inspiring I found everyone to be.  We talked about the goals that I have set for myself after the Lose to Win Challenge.  It gave me perspective, and once again reinforced my belief in the dedication of the staff at the Y.  She asked if I could write her an email about it, and share my story with the team.  I have yet to write it, but if my story can help others take those first steps, I am more than willing to put myself out there.

I learned a lot from the past six weeks.  I learned a little on how to regulate my diet.  Not all exercises need to use weights and machines, your body can provide enough resistance to make yourself stronger.  I learned that it is easier to stay motivated in a team, something that I missed since my days as an athlete. I learned that heading into a department store and not shopping in the “Big & Tall” section is an attainable goal.  I learned that even my most favorite thing to eat in the world can not give me the satisfaction that being 44lbs lighter can.

This weekend will be a big challenge for me.  I have committed to some social events, one being an annual state-wide Beer and Chili festival.  To compound my challenge, the Y fitness center is closing down for yearly maintenance for the weekend.  I am looking forward to applying what I learned and coming out of the weekend still on track.  Every small victory I can earn is one step closer to finding a healthy and balanced life, and one step closer to not worrying about the “fat charge” on Southwest airline flights.

Washed, cut up, and ready to juice

I put the leafy vegetables in first, I had read that it was always best to put pulpy items (such as apples) through after leafy items to help push through more juice.  The process was very smooth, and I was amazed at how dry the pulp was when it comes out of the waste chute.

Pulp on the left, blended frog on the right..

I’ve heard the bell, I can see what I’m up against, the weeks of calorie counting and gym training have come down to this.  Me vs a drink that I’ve affectionately dubbed “pond slime”.

That is a darker green than the color of my shirt

That is 8oz of pure microbiotic, gut rewiring, health inducing, body super charging mega drink.  That drink there is the juicing of 6 Kale leaves, 2 cups of Spinach, 1/2 of a cucumber, 4 celery stalks, 2 apples, and a nub of ginger.  All juiced in my super awesome Omega juicer to give me 16oz of liquid vitality.  Oh, did I mention the glass in front of me only has 8oz in it?  Yes?  That means after polishing off this bad boy I got another one to go.

Here is the blow-by-blow

• First sip- *shudders* “Oh dear LORD what did I get myself into?  Wait, that heat is from the ginger… reminds me of a chaser shot”
• Second sip- “Wait for it… wait for it… ahhhh ginger chaser!”
• Third sip- “I feel like I should be on Bizarre Foods.  I wonder if I could down the whole thing, after all I have skills with drinking by quantity…”
• Fourth chug- “Whoa whoa whoa bad idea bad idea!  Water!  Water!  Water!  Is that pulp left at the bottom of my glass?”

I've mastered the trick to fool parents where you hide the food in your mouth and off the plate, or the glass in my case.

I finished my first glass and completed my first step into juicing to supplement my diet.  I knew it was only half of what I needed to drink, but I felt a sense of accomplishment.  I realized just how many vegetables and fruits went into making the 16oz drink.  In one glass I had already “eaten” more veggies than I usually ate over a three day period.  Knowing that I had another half to go, I figured it would be easy to chug my way through it.  I was sadly mistaken.  The foam on the top of the juice tends to keep a lot pulp in it, not at all like the head on a finely brewed ale.

Makes me wish for a Kona Fire Rock

I finished all of the 16oz.  I was impressed with myself that I didn’t hurl.  I didn’t even gag (well, maybe a little bit when I tried to chug my way through all the veg head in the second glass).  Truth is that once it was over, it really wasn’t that bad.  It had a really earthy flavor with a super strong ginger chaser at the end, the kind that when you exhale you sit back and say “whoa”.  It is kind of like the feeling when you went to the dentist’s office as a kid.  It wasn’t your favorite thing to do, but you usually felt better once you were done and had some sort of prize to take home.

I washed up all the parts, and believe me- there are a lot of parts to keep clean.  Dallas came downstairs to tell me that she was awake.  I asked if I woke her up, she said “No, I was sleeping.  You didn’t wake me up, you’re cleaning in the kitchen.”  She then made the decision that we were going to play outside after breakfast.  The rest of the day was a piece of cake.  I used the My Fitness Pal app to keep track of what I was eating, I added more vegetables to my routine and cut back on the animal proteins.  I spent some quality time at the gym burning calories and I felt really good.  Tomorrow I will be posting my first weigh in and measurements.