Update

Hey, everyone. I apologize for not keeping up with my blog. Things have been a little hectic with my work schedule. I got a new job and I work third shift, so my sleeping schedule is a little screwed up and I haven't had much time to work on my blog. I will be taking new pics soon and I will update all my progress posts within the next few days. I will also post my first recipe post. So keep a look out for those. I've taken a little hiatus, but "Through Thick & Thin" is back, up, and running!!

The Best & The Worst #1: Chinese Food

When we order out or eat out, we have multiple items and dishes to choose from. Some are better than others and some are worse than others. Today's menu of topic: the average Chinese Menu.

INTRODUCTION: Chinese food is great. It is one of my favorite types of food to eat. And of course, I eat two of the worst things that Cooking Light magazine mentions. Two of the worst things you can order off of a Chinese menu include Pork Lo Mein and Sweet & Sour Chicken when compared to four other dishes, according to an article in the November 2009 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Two of the things I usually order are Pork Lo Mein and either Orange Chicken or General Tso's Chicken (which I imagine probably aren't terribly far from Sweet & Sour Chicken nutrition facts).


BEST-

Ma Po Tofu: 650 Calories
*Probably in the vegetarian section
*If it comes with ground pork and is not in the vegetarian
section, order it without the pork to make it healthier
*The ground pork adds calories and saturated fat

Shrimp w/Garlic Sauce: 700 Calories
*Shellfish and vegetables are a good choice to go with
*Served in a low-fat sauce
*Ask them to minimize the amount of cooking oil they use
to make it extra healthy

MODERATE-

Ginger Chicken w/Broccoli: 849 Calories
*Filled with vegetables
*Usually made with white meat chicken
*If you're overly concerned about the calories, try
reducing the serving size

Mu Shu Pork: 858 Calories
*"Stick to two filled pancakes of this
vegetable-packed dish and cut calories by half." --Cooking Light (quoted directly)
*Not sure what this means exactly....

WORST-

Sweet & Sour Chicken: 1,032 Calories
*Contains batter-coated and deep-fried chicken
*Cooked in a sauce that's contains a lot of sugar
*Tastes great but side effects include seeing higher
numbers on the weight scale, among other things

Pork Lo Mein: 1,419 Calories
*Contains oily noodles and fatty meat
*Seasoned with sodium greater than 100% of
your daily value!
*Once again... delicious. But it comes at a price!


REMEMBER: Chinese food is delicious, don't get me wrong. But remember, there are good choices and not-so-good choices you can make when eating out.

THANK YOU: I would like to thank Cooking Light magazine, their researchers, writers, and publishers for such a great source of knowledge, the subscription of which is going to be on a certain blogger's Christmas list, I can assure you!!

Trick #5: To Help Burn Calories...

HERE IS A LITTLE TRICK THAT HELPS ME TO CONTINUE EXERCISING: I Go To The Gym No Matter How Much Time I May Have To Do It!

Okay.... so, here's the thing-- yesterday, I left my house a little late because I was looking up video games that I may want for Christmas. I left probably around 4:00 PM, give or take a half hour; and I wanted to be back by 6:00 or 6:30 at the latest. In addition to that, it takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the gym. This didn't leave me a whole lot of time to get in a decent workout.

Here's what you need to think about, though: I only burned about 300 calories on the elliptical. My question to you is, "How many calories would I have burned on the elliptical had I not gone to the gym at all?" Well, considering the fact that I don't own an elliptical at home, the answer is a resounding "None." I was also able to do some stretches and work out on a few machines. So I'm keeping my muscles active so that I don't regress too much and get weaker. I'm also keeping my metabolism up.

CONCLUSION: Some exercise is better than no exercise. Even if you go to the gym for a little bit, it's that much more exercise that you probably wouldn't have done if you didn't go at all. In the end, I was at the gym for 1-1.5 hours yesterday. That's a lot more exercise than I would have gotten if I didn't go at all because I felt I "didn't have enough time to go to the gym." The fact of the matter is, if you think you don't have enough time to go to the gym, you do. If I'm wrong and you honestly don't, you could do something like crunches or stretches or go for a walk. As a warning, don't forget-- please be careful. Don't go for a walk when it is dark out or if you think that it will get dark before you return from your walk. Be sure that you know how to stretch properly so you do not hurt yourself. And be sure you know the proper techniques for any exercises you do so you do not hurt yourself and so that you can do them efficiently, obtaining the best results. Stay safe, people!!

Trick #4: To Help Keep Yourself From Giving Up...

HERE IS A LITTLE TRICK THAT HELPS ME TO CONTINUE EATING WELL AND EXERCISING: Think About The Future!

Sometimes, I have a bad day. Maybe I didn't exercise, maybe I binged, maybe I ate unhealthy snacks or meals. When this happened in the past, I would want to give up and decide that I had ruined my "diet," so I was just going to ignore how healthy or unhealthy my food choices were from then on. Has this ever happened to you?

First of all, keep in mind the voice of Scarlett O'Hara (Gone With The Wind): "Tomorrow is anotha day." In other words, just start fresh tomorrow.

But what I'm about to tell you now is VERY important!! What I will ask myself is, "Are you are not so overweight that it will cause health issues in the future and 100% COMPLETELY content with your body and your image?" That answer to my question is a big, "obese" "No!" I realize that if I give up now, I will want to lose weight in the future. How much weight will I gain before I realize I want to go on another "diet?" When that happens, I my goal from before I quit my efforts will not be the same. My goal will still be to get down to about 200lbs. (+/- 30lbs.).

So what did I do in giving up and going back to eating the way I was before I made this lifestyle change? I put myself farther away from my goal. Now I'm going to have to lose all that weight all over again and then lose the weight that I wasn't able to lose to reach my goal before I gave up!

In other words- let's say I gave up now. My goal weight is 200 pounds and I'm 321 pounds. I had a bad day and figured, "I just ruined everything, now. I'm just going to throw in the towel and give up." And then I went for 6 months before wanting to lose weight again. In that 6 months, let's say I gained 40 pounds, putting me at 361 pounds. I know I still want to be about 200 pounds. So that hasn't changed. But now, not only do I have to lose the 40 pounds just to get back to where I was before I gave up, but then I need to lose the other 121 pounds that I didn't give myself the chance to lose before. So now, instead of just needing to lose 121 pounds, I now need to lose 161 pounds to reach my goal.

So put yourself in that hypothetical situation and ask yourself, "Is my goal going to change if I give up now? And is giving up going to bring me closer to my goal or take me farther away from it?" If I have a bad day, the needle may creep 5 pounds on the scale. But would I rather have it go up 5 pounds from having a bad day, or 40 pounds from giving up and having a bad 6 months?

CONCLUSION: If you are considering giving up, think about the future and if you're going to want to lose weight again. Then think about how far back you are going to put yourself by giving up instead of just having one or two bad days? Honestly, this is how I keep myself from giving up and I think it may help you as well.

Blog Help?

Can you help? I'd like to remind readers to look for updates on older posts by creating a signature that is left after every post. Can someone tell me how to do that?

I would like to remind readers that my Weight Loss Progress post will be updated weekly and the chart will be updated every two weeks. My Physical Progress post will be updated monthly and my Workout Progress post will be updated once every couple days.

Thank You. :)

SUBSTITUTE #1: Butter vs. "I.C.B.I.N.B." Spray

HERE IS A HEALTHIER SUBSTITUTE THAT I ENJOY USING INSTEAD OF A MORE COMMONLY USED ITEM: I Use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Spray Instead Of Melted Butter.

Last night, I put on The Nightmare Before Christmas and made myself a 100-calorie bag of popcorn. I don't really like plain popcorn, personally. I like some flavor. So I decided to try out the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray that I bought a little while back and tried it out. Result? AMAZING!! It's delicious and a MUCH better alternative to putting melted butter on your popcorn instead!! And it's gluten-free for those of you who need to maintain a gluten-free diet!


I guess there are two settings, "Cooking Spray" and "Topping."

The Nutrition Facts Label Gives This Information:

Serving Size 1 Spray (0.20g) Cooking Spray 5 Sprays (1g) Topping
Servings Per Container 1130 Cooking Spray, 226 Topping
Calories: 0
Calories from Fat: 0
Total Fat:
Cooking Spray: 0g (DV=0%)
Topping: 0g (DV=0%)
Sat Fat:
Cooking Spray: 0g (DV=0%)
Topping: 0g (DV=0%)
Trans Fat:
Cooking Spray: 0g
Topping: 0g
Cholesterol:
Cooking Spray: 0mg (DV=0%)
Topping: 0mg (DV=0%)
Sodium:
Cooking Spray: 0mg (DV=0%)
Topping: 15mg (DV=1%)
Total Carb:
Cooking Spray: 0g (DV=0%)
Topping: 0g (DV=0%)
Protein:
Cooking Spray: 0g
Topping: 0g
NOTES: Not a significant source of dietary fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Refrigerate for quality. Best when used by date printed on container. Questions? Call 1-800-634-0302.
INGREDIENTS: water, liquid soybean oil, salt, sweet cream buttermilk*, xanthan gum, natural soy lecithin, polysorbate 60, lactic acid, (potassium sorbate, calcium disodium edta) used to protect quality, natural and artificial flavors, Vitamin A (palmitate), bea carotene (color).

*adds a dietarily insignificant amount of cholesterol


It tastes great!! I love it!! Popcorn can be a very healthy snack and this helps keep it that way without sacrificing taste!!

TRICK #3: To Help With Portion Control...

HERE IS A LITTLE TRICK THAT HELPED ME ESTABLISH BETTER EATING HABITS: I Use Smaller Plates To Put My Food On Before Eating.

In an article I read from an issue of Cooking Light, putting food on a smaller plate helps with portion control. The amount of food on a plate can play tricks on a person's mind depending on the size of the plate. So I fought fire with fire.

When I have a large plate, I feel the need to cover the plate (as many people do). Depending on the size of the plate, this can become a problem. So when I am trying to watch my portion size, what I do is I grab a smaller plate out of the cabinet. Instead of the large dinner plates, I'll use a plate that is probably meant for a relatively modest-sized serving of dessert. But instead of using the plates for a slice of pie, I'll use them to eat a small meal, helping to establish portion control.

The same goes for drinks and the glasses you pour them into. When I am trying not to consume too many empty calories by drinking a lot of orange juice, I'll use a short coffee mug instead of a tall beer mug.

CONCLUSION: When I want to consume smaller portions but still feel like I ate enough, I use smaller plates and glasses so when I fill the plate up, it still looks like I'm getting a full meal.

TRICK #2: To Help Keep From Binging...

HERE IS A LITTLE TRICK THAT WILL HOPEFULLY HELP ME ESTABLISH BETTER EATING HABITS: I Should Ask To Be Monitored When I Need To Be!!

Last night, I went over to my aunt's house. She ordered pizza and I brought over Subway. By the end of the night, not only had I eaten my entire 12" sub, but I had also eaten about 4 pieces of pizza, 10-20 cookies (a mix of Oreos and Chips Ahoy!), 3 cups of peanuts, a piece of cake, and about 5 handfuls of potato chips.

I knew I was binging and I should have said something to someone. I was hanging out in the living room and kept going into the kitchen. I should have asked my aunt to make sure I didn't go back into the kitchen. Negative reinforment helps, too, for me. If I know I'll get yelled at if I go back into the kitchen for more food, I'm less likely to do it for fear of being caught.

Admittedly, this would have only been a temporary fix. The ultimate goal would be to be able to go over a house with junk food in it and be able to restrain myself from binging. This would probably be a stepping stone, though. Psychologically, if I am yelled at enough and it works, I will learn not to raid the cabinets over time.

I don't have this problem at my house because we don't keep junk food around. But I should be able to go over someone else's house without raiding their cabinets and fridge, as well.

CONCLUSION: If I need someone to help me, to yell at me for mindlessly binging, I should ask for that help instead of binging and letting myself continue.

Meeting With The Dietition - 11/09/09

I saw my dietition today. Turns out that I lost 12 pounds in the past 5 weeks. Last time I saw her was on October 7 and the scale read 339. This visit, the scale read 327. Of course these numbers are calculated from my weight with my clothes on.

Our main topic of discussion for this visit was my intake of protein. Apparently, too much excess protein can hurt your kidneys and/or liver over an extended period of time. For someone my age and size, it would seem that I should only be taking in about 56 grams of protein per day--ideally. She said that I should try and keep my intake to 100 grams of protein per day at a maximum. I should probably try and spread it out over the day, as well. According to my dietition, only about 20 grams of protein can be utilized by the body at a time.

Another point that she wanted to make was to go easy on the gym-- not to stop going, but to not overdo it. She said to try working out 4 times a week. I have to be honest, I'm probably still going to be going to the gym 5 or 6 times a week. I love going and I don't really have much a whole lot else to do. I will try not to overdo it while I'm there, though. I think that's a fair trade. As long as I don't push myself to exhaustion, I think I should be okay.

She and I also had a speedy, last-minute discussion of Thanksgiving. She admitted that she personally enjoys keeping things traditional (as opposed to having to worry about keeping things obsessively healthy). Instead, she suggested that I just eat smaller portions-- to emphasize more vegetables and turkey on my plate instead of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. And for dessert, instead of having a small slice of every pie on the table, have one small to moderate-sized piece of my favorite pie.

TRICK #1: To Help Avoid Late-Night Eating...

HERE IS A LITTLE TRICK THAT HAS HELPED ME ESTABLISH BETTER EATING HABITS: I Reinvented A Space In My House Away From The Kitchen To Spend Time In

This trick has worked wonders for me! Let me start off by saying that I slept on the living room couch for most of the summer. The couch is very large and very comfortable and my room was disgusting. I had piles of clothing and possessions as high as my bed.... and my bed is on risers so I can use under-the-bed storage cases!! So after about a week of cleaning my room, I began sleeping in my own bed. I would say it is probably because I greatly enjoy my room now.

I rearranged the furniture so my 4-foot-long dresser is parallel to my bed (but not so close that I can't use it). On my dresser, I have everything I would use downstairs in my living room. I have also rearranged some of the decorations on the walls. Over my closet door, I have hung meaningful pictures of my mother; and by my bookshelf, I have put up a new concert poster. On top of my bookshelf, I have a wedding photo of my parents and around it are beautiful dried flowers from a couple floral arrangements from my mother's wake that hold special meaning to me.

CONCLUSION: The farther I am away from the kitchen, the less likely I am to engage in mindless eating. So what I have done was created a place that is desireable for me to spend time in on the second floor, away from the kitchen (farther away than the living room). Sleeping on the couch over the summer, I would wake up in the middle of the night, and the kitchen would be a 5-10-second walk away. Now that I enjoy spending time in my room, I raid the cabinets and fridge at night about 90% less than I did.

Physical Progress

WARNING: These photos are not meant to be provocative in any shape or form. However, they are fairly nude so discretion is advised. They are meant to show my progress. In these pictures, I had already been covering myself; however, I thought it would be better if I censored it further on my computer.

October 3, 2009 vs. November 9, 2009

COMMENTARY: In this comparison, you can see my chest is becoming smaller and my arms are becoming leaner. My face is clearly thinner and my thighs are much firmer. My stomach and forearms are also somewhat smaller.

Workout Progress

ROW-
September 22, 2009:     70lbs. -- 4x10, 2x5
September 26, 2009:     50lbs. -- 5x10

HIGH ROW-
September 28, 2009:     50lbs. -- 6x10
October 4, 2009:           50lbs. -- 7x10
October 5, 2009:           50lbs. -- 8x10
October 13, 2009:         50lbs. -- 6x10
November 5, 2009:       50lbs. -- 5x10
November 7, 2009:       50lbs. -- 8x10
November 12, 2009:     60lbs. -- 2x10; 50lbs. -- 3x10

CHEST FLIES (free weights)-
September 26, 2009:     25lbs. -- 1x15, 3x10, 1x5
September 28, 2009:     25lbs. -- 6x10
October 4, 2009:           25lbs. -- 6x10


September 28, 2009:     30lbs. -- 8x10
September 30, 2009:     50lbs. -- 6x10
October 4, 2009:           50lbs. -- 7x10
October 5, 2009:           50lbs. -- 10x10
October 13, 2009:         70lbs. -- 8x10
November 5, 2009:       70lbs. -- 6x10
November 6, 2009:       70lbs. -- 6x10
November 7, 2009:       70lbs. -- 7x10
November 10, 2009:     90lbs. -- 5x10
November 12, 2009:     90lbs. -- 4x10

SHOULDER PRESS-
September 28, 2009:     30lbs. -- 8x10
September 30, 2009:     50lbs. -- 2x10; 30lbs. -- 8x10
October 5, 2009:           30lbs. -- 8x10
October 13, 2009:         50lbs. -- 6x10
November 5, 2009:       50lbs. -- 2x10; 30lbs. -- 4x10
November 6, 2009:       50lbs. -- 5x10
November 7, 2009:       50lbs. -- 4x10
November 10, 2009:     50lbs. -- 5x10

BICEP CURL-
October 5, 2009:           30lbs. -- 3x10
October 13, 2009:         30lbs. -- 3x10; 20lbs. -- 4x10
November 5, 2009:       30lbs. -- 3x10; 20lbs. -- 3x10
November 6, 2009:       30lbs. -- 4x10
November 7, 2009:       30lbs. -- 2x10; 20lbs. -- 4x5
November 10, 2009:     30lbs. -- 4x10

ABDOMINAL-
October 4, 2009:            90lbs. -- 4x10

TORSO ROTATION-
October 5, 2009:            50lbs. -- 8x10 (each side)

HIP ABDUCTION-
September 28, 2009:     170lbs. -- 5x20
October 5, 2009:           210lbs. -- 8x10

HIP ADDUCTION-
September 28, 2009:     170lbs. -- 5x20
October 4, 2009:           190lbs. -- 2x20
October 5, 2009:           210lbs. -- 10x10
October 13, 2009:         230lbs. -- 10x10

LEG EXTENSION-
September 22, 2009:     70lbs. -- 1x15, 3x10, 1x5
September 26, 2009:     70lbs. -- 6x10
September 28, 2009:     70lbs. -- 6x10
September 30, 2009:     70lbs. -- 7x10
October 4, 2009:           70lbs. -- 7x10
October 5, 2009:           70lbs. -- 10x10
October 13, 2009:         90lbs. -- 6x10
November 5, 2009:       70lbs. -- 7x10
November 6, 2009:       70lbs. -- 6x10
November 7, 2009:       70lbs. -- 6x10
November 10, 2009:     90lbs. -- 4x10
November 12, 2009:     90lbs. -- 6x10

SEATED LEG CURL-
September 26, 2009:     70lbs. -- 6x10
September 28, 2009:     70lbs. -- 6x10
September 30, 2009:     70lbs. -- 7x10
October 4, 2009:           70lbs. -- 8x10
October 5, 2009:           70lbs. -- 8x10
October 13, 2009:         90lbs. -- 6x10
November 5, 2009:       70lbs. -- 7x10
November 6, 2009:       90lbs. -- 6x10
November 7, 2009:       90lbs. -- 8x10
November 10, 2009:     90lbs. -- 5x10
November 12, 2009:     110lbs. -- 3x10; 90lbs. -- 3x10

CALF PRESS-
October 5, 2009:            250lbs. -- 8x10

LEG PRESS-
September 22, 2009:     540lbs. -- 5x10
September 28, 2009:     450lbs. -- 5x10

ELIPTICAL-
September 26, 2009:     4x500 calories
September 28, 2009:     1x1000 calories
September 30, 2009:     1x1000 calories, 1x500 calories
October 5, 2009:           1x500 calories
November 5, 2009:       1x1354 calories
November 6, 2009:       1x700 calories
November 7, 2009:       1x1000 calories
November 12, 2009:     1x300 calories, 1x500 calories
November 16, 2009:     1x800 calories

Weight Loss Progress

This post is a record of my weight and weight trends since late September, 2008. Weigh-In results will be posted weekly and the line graph will be updated every other week.

September 22, 2008: ...............379lbs.
September 29, 2008: ...............375lbs.
October 27, 2008: ...................366lbs.
November 12, 2008: ................357lbs.
February 23, 2009: ..................358lbs.
March 10, 2009: ......................351lbs.
March 19, 2009: ......................346lbs.
March 30, 2009: ......................338lbs.
April 27, 2009: .........................332lbs.
August 14, 2009: ......................345lbs.
November 5, 2009: ..................324lbs.
November 12, 2009: ................321lbs.
November 16, 2009: ................314lbs.



CURRENT WEIGHT LOSS: 65 Pounds

Introduction

In September 2008, I was the heaviest I had ever been. At just over 6' tall, I weighed 379lbs. on September 22, 2008. I don't rememeber what sparked my motivation to change my lifestyle, but I got in touch with my dietition. Originally, I saw her because I was going through the pre-operation protocol for a gastric bypass. One of the requirements for the surgery was that I see a dietition. After my mother died, however, I stopped seeing my dietition for a while. My mother had her stomach stapled about 10 or 12 years ago and she was helping me through everything. After she died, it didn't seem right for me to continue without her-- like it was something that we were meant to do together. I suppose I realized that she would have wanted me to get it done. I don't quite remember. So I began seeing my dietition for a while again... From October until May, I believe. I thought maybe I could do it on my own. By the end of April, I had lost almost 50 pounds but I gained weight over the summer months. I decided that I couldn't do this alone, so I contacted my dietition yet again. I have seen her once since I most recently started seeing her again. My next visit with her is in a couple of days. This brings us to where we are now.

About Me

My name is Matthew. I am a 23-year-old single gay male living in rural Connecticut. I'm a complete mutt-- Italian, Irish, Polish, German, English, Scottish, and Dutch. I'm a 5th year college student with a major in communication, but I've decided that I want to go into nursing. Unfortunately, I'm so close to getting my degree in communication that it would be a waste  not to finish this first; so I'm currently going to school for a degree that I no longer want. I ended up getting a bad case of senior slip so I decided to take the rest of the semester off to clear my head. I live with my Dad and our dog, Arthur. My brother lives on his college campus while I commute. My mom passed away in late January of 2008 and people tell me I'm just like her, which I enjoy hearing. She was my everything. She was my motivation for doing the things that I didn't want to do.

My interests are very widespread. Musically, I enjoy almost anything. I'm extremely picky about the rap and the country that I listen to, however. My favorite artists are Evanescence, Disturbed, Jeffree Star, Monty Are I, Escape The Fate, Alesana, Lady Gaga, We The Kings, No Doubt. I also enjoy Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds to Mars, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Apocalyptica, The Used, and more.

As far as sports go, I enjoy playing volleyball. Watching.... I root for New York. I'm trying to get more into football, obviously rooting for the Giants. Baseball, I am not a fan of watching, but root for the Yankees. For hockey, it's all about the Rangers!! At least for the NHL. For the AHL, you gotta love the Hartford Wolfpack!! If you couldn't tell, hockey is my favorite sport to watch! My mother used to say that hockey takes the most skill out of any sport-- balance, coordination, etc.

I'm not going to go into how I'm a hopeless romantic and mention all the qualities that I'm looking for in a guy-- I have enough profiles posted on various websites... I don't need to turn my fitness blog into a cry for date.

As for hobbies, I enjoy going to concerts. I actually collect concert hoodies, I'm up to about 8 or 10, now. Some don't quite fit, but I can still wear most of them without looking completely ridiculous. I like to go deep-sea fishing. Seriously.... if you catch a couple blue fish or stripers.... you don't need to work your biceps for a month!! That's probably an exaggeration but I know I'm sore the next day!! I like to go crabbing in the summer; my grandmother makes an awesome spaghetti sauce out of them. I am getting into cooking, which I enjoy. I want to put together a book of recipes when I get the chance.

I'm not going to bore you by extending this post too much. I just wanted to introduce myself and who I am; let you get a better feel for who's writing the blog that you're reading. In any case, I hope you enjoy the blog and I hope it helps you in your journey "through thick and thin."