didn't lose but didn't gain.

OK, maybe I haven't been as diligent with my diet plan this week but I needed a little break. I'm sure the crawfish on Sunday started it all but for some reason I was ravenous at work this week. That usually isn't the case but for some reason I wanted to snack. Nothing bad; I didn't binge or anything but I'm sure I "munched" on a few things at work and at home that kept me at my status quo. Last week I was at 240.4 I weighed this evening and I was 241 on the nose...that's nothing more than a good BM for me so I'm calling it even.

I'm still pondering changing to the low carb Diet To Go Plan. Even eliminating the extra calorie packs of yogurt, jams and jellies, juices and extra bread, my sugars have been higher than normal since starting DTG. My morning readings are 140--160 or so and by lunch (given what I may have had for breakfast) can rise closer to 200. No one will be happy with that...doctor or myself. I realize the low carb is meat and fat heavy but I'm on a good cholesterol statin and I recently had a stress test and heart scan and things looked fine. I'm more worried about putting my sugars back in line than severe blockage due to cholesterol. I'm a firm believer that everybody has a set of "body norms." My cholesterol has always teetered around the same number ever since I began checking it several years ago as have my triglycerides. I also believe that some "bodies" are comfortable at a certain weight even if considered unhealthy by the medical community. Sure this goes against conventional thought and I'm certainly not advocating that you stay at 400 pounds because "your body told you to." I am saying that there are several factors that determine a healthy weight for certain individuals including blood type, body type and diet.

I have always been able to lose weight on any diet...sticking to it is the key. There always came a time though when I needed to get over a hump or plateau where you had to consume way less calories that the diet plan called for...you had to go to bed hungry. It got to the point to where if my stomach wasn't growling all the time I didn't feel I was losing any weight. That can certainly lead to an eating disorder and likely has. It's like athletes who actually begin to enjoy the pain. Believe me, I was never in any real danger because I could ALWAYS go right back to pleasuring myself with food. (many bulimics and anorexics can't draw that line) I'm hoping to do things different this time but feel I might "react" better to the low carb diet plan at DTG. I've done well on Atkins and Sugar Busters before but if I'm being honest a lot of the dishes in the low fat meals are vegetable based and many don't appeal to me...I'm a meat eater; always have been.

I'm planning of making the call tonight so by next Thursday I'll have a new set of menus and food. I'll keep you posted on how I like that plan, too. Also, I want to share with you guys that of the 7 shipments that came in the "ice chest" version and not the cardboard box and insulated panels, only one arrived in good enough shape to be used again and not completely destroyed. The food never spoiled or none of the meals were unusable but I love how on the DTG site it says you get a free ice chest with the delivered food...no ya don't.

Crawfish...the Lobster of Louisiana!

I know, I know...Diet to go doesn't have a crawfish dish (yet) so yes, I ate off the plan but there was no avoiding it this weekend. The Home and Garden show was in the Superdome this weekend...has nothing to do with crawfish but i stuck to the program Saturday. But, the Louisiana crawfish festival was this weekend (actually Thursday through Sunday) in St. Bernard Parish. This area was devastated by Katrina and under at least a dozen feet of water for days on end. The fact that it has recovered and still has it's festival is a miracle. No, I didn't eat crawfish there either but our company picnic was this weekend north of Denham Springs, La. and there was a couple hundred pounds boiled there and I definitely ate some mudbugs after a long 100 mile motorcycle ride.

The weather was gorgeous after several days of torrential rains and thunderstorms. Clear blue skies, breezy and temps in the 70's all day. Now, for those of you that don't get the whole "suck the head and pinch the tail" thing, let me explain it to you. We basically eat crawfish until they're out of season or until you're absolutely sick of them...whichever comes first. Being that it's late March I'm surprised that I've only had 2 occasions to enjoy them...and enjoy them I did. I'm hoping my caloric intake for the day stayed under 1800 calories by skipping dinner and just having the crawfish (and a couple of oat sodas) for lunch and skipping dinner. I'll let you know next week if it worked out for me. Luv dem crawfish now.

18 and counting!

It's coming off! What a great way to start the morning; I stepped on the scale and it surprised me with a 240.4 pound reading. I knew I would have a loss but almost 2 full pounds was really cool to see today. I'm going to hit it hard this coming week and hope to be in the 230's by next Thursday. It's a great feeling too. For those of you that have been on the fence about DTG, you too could be 18 pounds lighter by now. Make the call or log on but don't wait any longer...swimsuit will be here before you know it...

I've figured out the secret to Diet to Go...for me anyway.

Here's why I think the DTG plan works for me. There isn't any guess work. I always know what I'm having and everything is provided. See, left to my own devices, I tend to make a lot of impulsive and unhealthy choices. With DTG, I know there is always something right there for me. It takes very little prep work and within minutes I have something tasty and healthy to eat. I love the fact that everything has been weighed, measured, calculated, etc. This way I don't feel guilty about eating the angelfood cake, chocolate mousse or pudding. I can always reach for a juicy navel orange or fresh apple. It's remarkable that even though my food travels several hundred miles to get to me the fruit ends up in better shape than if I brought it home from the local grocery. I feel like Oprah; this meal plan is like having your own personal Bob Greene (I think that's his name) selecting and preparing your meals for you. OK, I do the actual heating and eating but it couldn't be simpler. I hear rumors that DTG is rolling out a completly new website too so log on, select your meal plan and get busy eating well and losing weight with great tasting, real food.

Just a quickie cuz I'm tird and it's late

I'll have you know that when I mentioned I ate at O'henry's with my son several blogs ago, we were asked to color the place mat while waiting. If it was good enough, we would be entered into a drawing to win a free entree'. He won! They called the other day and told him he won so I will probably take him back there to eat this week being that he did so well on his report card today. It's just Hudson and I this week since mommy is on convention in Reno. I'm sticking to the plan and hope I can resist ordering up a big fat juicy burger again and just have a salad or grilled fish. Thanks for the wonderful comments being left from followers. I wish I had all your email addresses so I could reply quickly to your posts. If you trust enough to leave it with me I promise to write back.

Hornets win by 12!!!

For not being a basketball fan my son and I had a great time last night at the Hornets vs. Grizzlies in the Arena. Of course he came home with a jersey and basketball; he’s a fan now! Three good seats fell into my lap at the last minute so me, a good friend and my son took our place in the crowd and had a wonderful time. He shared Nachos with my friend and had cotton candy…I didn’t have a single chip this time but I did indulge in a few adult beverages while there. What a great night.

Have I mentioned how much I really like the food in week 5? This morning’s breakfast pie was delicious right out of the toaster oven as was the Tuscan boats. These savory filled potato skins are perfect with a few grinds of pepper but I really love the side dish of whole grains and cranberries. It has a wonderful flavor and is filling when washed down with the smoothie. Tonight’s dinner of Turkey Salisbury with green beans and mashed potato’s is good old fashioned comfort food.

I’m counting the hoops my son and I shot with his new official Hornets basketball and cutting the grass as exercise as I have yet to start my Powerslide program. Shortly after I started DTG, I had an MRI of my left knee. It showed I have a Plica Band issue that causes my knee to become inflamed and is quite painful. Since the Powerslide requires a lateral motion I have yet to feel comfortable with my knee to attempt a long session. My wife will be out of town all next week so I’m going to roll it out and leave it out (she hates the house junked up, right) in the hopes that I will use it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. If the weather is as nice as it was today I think I’ll take another bike ride.

Hey, I'm down another pound!

I'm happy to report that I've lost a total of 16 pounds! I have to say that I am used to taking the weight off a bit faster than this but I know it was NEVER healthy. I have to remind myself that it took a while to put it all on so it will take some time to take it back off. I leave to go out west at the end of May and I would love to be 30 pounds lighter by that time. Unfortunately the math is not in my favor unless I can get myself moving a bit more. I also am thinking about cutting back to the 1200 calorie plan...maybe even going lo-carb.

My doctors have been worried about the cholesterol numbers in the lo-carb plan but I've been battling my sugars and am borderline diabetic. Unfortunately my sugar readings have been higher since starting the DTG plan. I blame it on all of the "extras" that make Diet To Go so good. The delicious jams and specialty cream cheeses plus applebutter and yogurt. The plan is obviously calorie based and carefully put together with overall calories in mind. The lo-carb plan will have less sugar because that's the basis for most high protien plans like Sugarbusters, Atkins, South Beach, etc. Sugar, refined or enriched flours are bad; wheat and meat is good. Now, where DTG's traditional low fat plan may let sugars go; lo-carb diets tend to throw fat counts out the window but it's the right fats that count. Regardles, once you hit ketosis, the weight tends to fall off. It may be good for losing weight but it's unrealistic to think you can maintain that type of food regimine for very long so people go back to the comfort of their pastas, breads and sugars. I'll give it some thought...we'll have to see.

Another bright spot for my day was that I got to spend the early evening taking a ride with my son. He's just getting old enough to where he stays on the bike well. I would love to take him on some on my long distance trips but he's still pretty young. He'll do just fine though and I can't wait to take another spin with him. And yes, the photographer (his mother) is horrified that he rides with me. What a dude!