I've been derilict in my duties to post

Hello all, since my last post a lot has happened. We did close on the new house and since then it's been a whirlwind of activity both in travel and contractors. Since my son is enrolled in 1st grade in MS, he and my wife have been staying over there so I've been traveling to see them several nights a week and on the weekend. We have also had painters and now the tile people in the house since the beginning of September. Dealing with all of this from a distance comes with its own set of difficulties and has turned my stomach, on occasion, into a churn.

I've found it tough at times to stick to the DTG program during these past few weeks allowing myself to eat out (probably more than I should) and eat some things I shouldn't have at all. Even though I've slipped a bit I have only fluctuated a couple pounds and as of this morning was 223. I will spend another weekend in MS probably painting and cutting the grass if the weather permits. There is a lot to be done before we can move in so I'm going to take it one day at a time and will try my best to keep on the straight and narrow. In the mean time, here are a few photos of the tile work being done...enjoy and have a great weekend.

I'm sure I've said this before but the food on Diet To Go is freakin' awesome!

Just got back after a harrowing weekend with the family in MS. Yes, we closed on the new house on Monday and without regaling you with the details it was one of the most bizarre closings I've ever been involved with. OK, I'm currently trying to get the paint and tile done before we officially move in over there so this too has been trying. Lots of quotes, lots of prices, several levels of competency and English. Needless to say it has been a real distraction to my diet plan but I 'm proud to say that "trauma trim" has allowed me to drop down to 221 pounds...without really trying, honestly. I'm ashamed and guilty for some of the things I've eaten during the 2 of 7 days that I eat on my own but the activity and possibly my food choices have allowed me to continue to lose weight. 258 minus 221 makes it 37 pounds that I've lost.

I'll tell you the reason for the title of my post. Just when I think I'm getting tired of the food at DTG I revisit something that I haven't had in a while and am wow'd by it. Tonight it was the stuffed flounder. Damn, I've paid for worse flounder in a restaurant before. This dish is expertly seasoned and if you heat it properly the flounder is moist and flaky with a delicious seafood stuffing, pesto cauliflower and let's face it; I'm a bit tired of the green beans but they to were crisp and delicious with a mild sprinkling of cheese. Thank you DTG for keeping me on track during these very distracting days. It's good to know that I don't have to worry about a meal plan each night after all of this.

Also, I hear from the big cheese at DTG that they are buying a huge shrink wrap machine that better protects the integrity of the packages when they are shipped. as you know I've had a few problems with my deliveries but I've been assured that it is all behind us now and my food will arrive fresh and safe. have a great week and as things slow down a bit I promise to post a bit more. I removed flooring, tack strips and painted today...the longer it takes these guys to get back to me on these projects the more I just do myself...there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes as well. Have a great week!!

I've been distracted by more than just my diet.

Sunday night and after a pretty god weekend I think I should throw up a blog. Friday night was the Saints pre-season opener at the Dome. It wasn't a great showing but they did win. The mantra for the evening being; what do you want, it's pre-season. I was able to enjoy the game with some red wine and even stuck to my program at dinner later that night. Forgoing the bread and as many other carbs that night as I could, I was able to enjoy a delicious chicken and andouille gumbo (without rice) plus a delicious roast duck...no desert. Saturday, I wasn't as strict and I did allow myself a few "off the plan items."

Today was better as steak and eggs was a great eye opener and tonight's DTG offering of Italian Meatballs with a mouth watering artichoke and black olive side dish. 7 months on the plan and I'm still amazed by the food. As we move forward on the purchase of a second home in MS, it's become more complicated to concentrate on job performance, fixing up my current home, dealing with the pressures of financing the second home plus having my wife and child living, working and going to school in another state. I'm lucky if I get to see them once during the week and the 2 days on the weekend but it means several hours of drive time any way you slice it.

The good part is that I haven't allowed myself to put back on several pounds. I'm sticking to the plan as well as can be expected but I have found that I'm slipping a bit more than usual. I was given some really good news last week that I can't share here but lets say that it's in my best interest to continue losing weight as this will be a great reward in the end. The prize will come in early December so I really want to have at least 10 more pounds off by then...maybe more. I've got to stay on that tread mill and really stick to the program though.

Sorry for not posting more often but again, time has been a real issue...more to come. I promise.

I think they finally got it right!

OK, so I may have been pouting a bit and I have been pretty busy as of late but I think DTG may have the right packaging now. I know it may seem that I'm harping on the delivery issue a bit but this is an expensive program and it's imperative that these meals arrive on time and in consumable condition. Last Thursday my shipment was completely destroyed...the worst yet. The inside contents were visible and I didn't know when this when the breakage occurred since there was no documentation and the UPS man simply dropped it off and left! They pissed me off too. I called UPS and filed a claim but no one ever contacted me after that...no one! I contacted DTG and they were mortified because this has happened to me several times now. I'm glad that they took some responsibility in this as well because I feel the package must be "road worthy" before the monkeys at UPS get a chance to wreck it. Simply sending an unprotected Styrofoam ice chest is NOT sufficient.

I'm happy to report that this week my ice chest arrived INSIDE of a standard card board box and the contents were still frozen and intact. Look, this meal plan has helped me lose a total of 35 pounds now and I'm astonished by that because the food is gourmet. This isn't some nuke & puke Jenny Craig or God forbid the dog food Nutri System passes off as food. It's real food, cooked fresh, flash frozen and delivered to my door. For those lucky enough to pick theirs up, there is no freezing involved as I have noted that some meals don't lend themselves well to the travel and reheating process. I look forward to getting back on track because my biggest worry was that I just went to 5 days a week instead of 7, leaving me with 2 big decision days or several meals on my own. I tossed last weeks shipment because I didn't know what condition it was in therefore I was on my own for entire week! I'm not ready to be let off the leash just yet! Much like my buddy Steve, we are recovering food addicts and can't be left to our own devices without much more counseling and behavior changes.

I managed to gain 2 pounds this past week all because I missed my food arrived compromised and I was left to my own devices. Bad me, yes. I'm back on the treadmill and can't wait to have my meals waiting for me so my decisions are made. I have way too much going on right now so taking my nutritional needs out of the equation will free me up to figure out how I'm going to pay for this new house...oh yeah, We will likely close this month! It's been 17 years since I've had to deal with this dog and pony show and even back then I don't recall it being this stressful...maybe because I signed all my life away while on pain pills after falling 30 feet in the Superdome. Now that's a story for another time. I promise I'll share but I've got to get to the Home Depot and buy some paint and supplies as "this old house" will soon be on the market!

A few more steps but the stress is mounting.

Well, if all goes well, I won't have to stay in an apartment when I travel to MS any longer. We have a contract on the house with the garage mahal but there are a few hoops to jump through first; home inspection, appraisal, insurance, etc. If all goes well we could take possession sometime in August. I'll keep you posted.

So, how is this messing with my diet. As you know, I've dropped down to 3 meals, 5 days a week instead of a full 7. It allows me to eat out a bit or with my family. It also leaves me on my own to make healthy decisions which can be difficult. I don't mind telling you I still crave carbs and not having that DTG meal in front of you to heat and eat my mind begins to wander towards them. The stress of re-mortgaging my life isn't helping matters and I have a history of stress eating, too. I'm staying active...as active as I can with a job that confines me to a chair but my treadmill is still calling me each morning and the honey-do list of house repairs will keep me busy for weeks as we prepare to sell our existing home.

I don't want to say my focus for weight loss has deminished but with so many things on the plate in front of me I feel I could derail. The compliments and the way I feel are carying me right now but as the vison gets blurred a bit some things move to the peripheral. As I focus on doing the deal on this house and preparing my home for sale I hope my weight loss goals don't end up there.

Apartment life sucks!

The transition from New Orleans to Mississippi is a slow process but we are making gradual progress. No sooner that we secure an apartment for my wife and son to live in while he begins first grade than we actually find a house to make an offer on. It couldn't happen soon enough for me. I've been in my home for 17 years and have forgotten how bad apartment life can be; dogs barking, paper thin walls, etc. It's all a bit much for me so finding a house has just moved up the priority list for me. Granted, I don't live there full time...neither does my wife, yet but even staying there a couple nights on the weekends while we look at homes is enough to turn me off. The woman that lives above us has two little yappy dogs that will bark at anything. Couple that with her obvious size 12 concrete shoes that she walks in and the fact that she gets up for work at 1:30am and you've got a recipe for a very unhappy tenant--ME! We do have an offer in on a really nice home with what I'm calling a "garage-mahal" in the back. Keep your fingers crossed

that they accept our offer so we can move!

Diet wise I'm doing well. I'm keeping up with my exercise and sticking to the meal plan as best I can. As previously mentioned, I went to 5 days a week, down from 7 so I'm providing a few meals on my own. As long as I can stick to the low/no carb regimen, I think I'll be OK. I'm at 222.5 or so and hoping I can drop into the teens very soon. I feel better than I've felt in a long time and it's all due to the weight loss, eating plan and exercise. Unfortunately when we let these things slide we end back up where we started; tens of pounds overweight, eating poorly and not exercising. Then we can't seem to figure out why we feel so bad. Hmmmmm

Stumbling through another week...

I feel like I'm stuck at 224...not that it's a bad thing but I'd like to hit the teens before the end of July! I knocked my meal program back to 5 days a week/3 meals per day because it seems like I have a backlog of extra meals. With the recent holiday and an extra shipment while I was on vacation, for some reason I have several leftover meals. I'm trying to get my wife to eat them and I hate throwing them away...I pay for them, ya know. Invariably I end up eating a breakfast or two off program and a couple of lunches or dinners so 5 days should be plenty to fill out the week.

My last shipment was completely destroyed by UPS. I mean I barely got it home before the whole box just fell apart. I don't know what they did to it but I hope no more arrive like that. I called DTG and explained what happened. Even though they have no control over what UPS does with their packages they were kind enough to ship my next set of meals for free! Great customer service.

I've been pretty stressed out lately with the move (we got an apartment in MS over the fourth) and looking for a house to buy, plus keeping up this one in LA. Having a structured meal plan like DTG has kept me from going off the deep end and stress eating. Knowing that there is food available for me to eat and that I'm not left to my own devices has really help me to maintain these last few weeks. I'm back on the treadmill, after being sick last week...just wasn't up to it. I really want to get into the two hundred and teens. With a little luck and some hard work I will get there and maybe my offer on a house in MS has been accepted...cross your fingers for both.