Day 504
Breakfast Then and Now and Increase Calories—Lose More!
I started my Sunday with an overstuffed scrambled egg white/veggie wrap. It was so wonderfully filling. I can remember fixing a big weekend breakfast almost every weekend back long before this journey started. It’s crazy to think about now, but I went out of my way to make it the heaviest, most calorie laden meal of the week. Sausage patties, scrambled eggs loaded with cheese, biscuits and gravy, and even hashbrowns. And it wasn’t just the selection, it was the amount---I fixed enough breakfast to feed ten, just for the four of us---sometimes five if the girls had a friend over. It was completely ridiculous, but very much a normal part of our weekends of old. It’s never like that now. If the girls are with me, I’ll offer to fix them what I’m having---and I’ll give them the calorie count too. They enjoy it and marvel at the fantastic calorie value. It’s amazing how many calories we were eating before, simply sickening really.
Courtney spent time with me today. We visited about a variety of things, including our plan to go to the YMCA tomorrow after she’s finished with school. It’s going to fall right in the middle of my normal nap time, but I need to either shorten or move, or better---eliminate nap time all together. I’d have a more regular nighttime sleeping schedule if not for my love of naps. We decided to have dinner at home and then see Avatar. I prepared an oriental style chicken, shrimp, mushroom, and wild rice dish. I eliminated a few items from the recipe to lower the calories. We each enjoyed a bowl for 450 calories. It was a little high, considering it was one dish, but it was our dinner…so I’m OK with that. I typically stay away from rice or any other kind of Asian cuisine. But the girls love it, I mean they LOVE IT! So I was the good sport today and gave it a whirl. Not bad, don’t tell Courtney, but I can think of several things I would have rather spent 450 calories eating. ;)
Avatar was pretty good. OK, it was amazing. The special effects were out of this world spectacular, and I normally don’t like “that kind” of movie. But then I realized, aside from the good vs. evil premise…this one is unlike any other movie ever, hardly fitting any “that kind” of category. James Cameron’s brain is just incredible. Courtney loved it too. I’m taking Amber to see it the weekend after next if she hasn’t already and it’s still in theaters.
The increased calorie situation has been wonderful. I just slightly increase throughout the day and I can hit it easily. The first two weeks resulted in a three-pound loss. We’ll see what Wednesday brings. I imagine it will be good! I feel lighter.
So how does that work? Eat more and lose more? It’s a metabolism thing. I don’t understand it all, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But---if you cut the fuel supply to your metabolism---it will sputter, and if it sputters, it’s not going to burn as efficiently. Add some extra quality fuel coupled with increased physical activity, and it can rev up the metabolism! Faster metabolism equals more weight loss. Melissa can explain it so much better. I should ask her to do a guest post sometime! Whenever I hear of someone drastically cutting their calories in an effort to lose more, I’m saddened by what they’re putting their metabolisms and themselves through.
Thank you for reading. Goodnight and…
Good Choices,
Sean
The breakfast sounds really good. I was wondering: how Amber is liking her new fitness class?
ReplyDeleteI met how IS Amber liking her new class?
ReplyDeleteWhen you ask Melissa to do that guest post on metabolism, could you ask her to maybe include this issue: some of us went on those very-low-calorie-liquid-diets back in the day. It about destroyed my metabolism... I am doing everything I know, but the weight loss is sooo slow. Does the metabolism "heal"? Is there any way to reverse the damage?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Loretta
=^..^=
I TOTALLY AGREE with you on metabolism and lowering calories and activity... its just isn't a good way to get you body burning it up.
ReplyDeleteI think a guest post by Melissa is an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the wonderful work, Sean.
I remember the breakfast buffet I used to go to. I would have bacon, sausage, tater tots with sour cream, pancakes with butter and syrup, eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs, French toast with butter and syrup and to finish it off...dessert, bread pudding with vanilla sauce, chocolate pudding and whipped cream and maybe a few little tarts.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't miss that sick feeling I would have for the rest of the day and the nap I would need to recuperate from the carb and sugar high.
I think that's the logic behind the cheat meals as well.
ReplyDeleteI know when I did weight watchers I was following it whole heartedly and did everything I was supposed to do. I would have gains or no losses at all after the 1st week. I started eating more (because I had heard that eating too little would do that to a person) and dropped the weight off. I thought it was such a joke that I gained or stayed the same when I stayed on the program, but when I increased my intake I dropped 30 lbs very quickly. Of course, when I was done with that experiment at that time, I went back completely to my old habits and gained it back and then some.
ReplyDeleteGlad things are moving along well for you, Sean! How is the (lack of) smoking going? Did you successfuly make it into February without too much trouble on that front?
ReplyDeletewow. that veggie wrap sounds quite good. and I love asian food. do you think you could send me both recipes? I love to cook, but as I am losing weight, I want to learn to cook healthy and low carb.
ReplyDeleteand I guess I should rent avatar when it comes out....I've heard about nothing but excellence from it. I would go see it, but lack the funds to do so.
anyway, keep up the good work, as an above commenter said. I am at 189 lbs now, and I was close to 215 lbs in high school 2 years ago! it's not much compared to your accomplishments, but I feel very proud nevertheless :)
HEres a great idea when craving chinese. If you do carry out a lot of restaurants have SPA Chicken but if you make it yourself it's just pieces of chicken and tons of veggies steamed and NO SAUCE. You can just top with soy sauce and it's great and SO LOW CAL .You can eat it with brown rice. Can also use shrimp and it's yummy. Electric steamers work great for this and from a Chinese restaurant it is the bomb!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a great weekend with Courtney. Asian food is my absolute downfall when it comes to eating! I also think that a guest post from Melissa is an excellent idea...get on that, wouldja'?? :)
ReplyDeleteAll your food sounds great. I know for me eating more calories through my journey has let me eat a LOT more during the course of it. I generally eat about 2000 a day and can still lose on that if I put in enough exercise time. Glad you got some quality time with Courtney.
ReplyDeleteI've just read this post of January 31st and it so fit me today! I've remained roughly the same weight for almost a month, frustrating for sure but on the other hand I've lost in size. My clothing is bigger on me so I'm not too discouraged. I've been doing 1200 cal/day since mid July so maybe I will take your advise and add 1000 extra and see if it helps the scale. Thanks again Sean for you encouragement both recent and past. I am reading your updates of the present and still working on finishing the whole blog. Nothing has ever kept me going for so long on a healthy way of eating.
ReplyDelete