Month 15: What I eat

Week 65 - front

Week 65 – front

Measurement	Sept. 1, 2012	Nov. 29, 2013	Change
Weight (pounds)	121.8	135.6	+13.8
Body fat percentage	23.5	26.8 [Aug. 28]	+3.3 percentage pts.
Fat weight	28.6	36.3	+7.7
Lean weight	93.2	99.3	+6.1
Total inches	113.6	121.8	+8.2

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Exercise	Start*	Nov. 29, 2013	Change
Kettlebell swing	32 x 20 lbs.	63/12 x 60 lbs.	+200.0 percent
Myotatic crunch	6.5 x 2.5 lbs.	9.0 x 20 lbs.	+700.0 percent
Single-arm kettlebell swing	25 x 15 lbs.	25/8 x 35 lbs.	+133.3 percent
Isolateral dumbbell incline bench press	2.4/3.0 x 30 lbs.	0.3/0.3 x 40 lbs.	+33.3 percent
Yates row	7.0 x 55 lbs.	3.4 x 165 lbs.	+200.0 percent
Reverse drag curls	6.0 x 25 lbs.	0.3 x 55 lbs.	+120.0 percent

*I started these exercises on different dates.

I am full of beans. And cauliflower.

I don’t think I’ve eaten this much of one or the other in my entire life.

Each day, I have 8 oz. of black beans or pinto beans as part of the Slow-Carb Diet. And another 8 oz. of lentils. They are easy to prepare, store and reheat in the microwave oven. A dash of salt, and they’re ready.

I eat a lot more veggies these days, some fresh and most frozen: spinach, broccoli, carrots, peas, green beans. Again, dump in a bowl and heat/steam in the microwave oven.

That is a huge win in terms of convenience and nutrition.

I’m surprised how quickly I adjusted. I wasn’t a big fan of cauliflower before, but I enjoy it each time. Same with the mountain of beans I tear through each week.

I do miss rice during the week. I used to make it regularly in my rice cooker and eat it with many meals.

I miss waffles and toast and sandwiches and potatoes, as well as fruit and sweets. But I make up for all of that on cheat days wholeheartedly. I’ve probably eaten more doughnuts in 2 months than in the last 5 years.

I say no a lot. To beer, to sampling, to appetizers and much more. I’m strict about staying away from forbidden foods 6 days a week.

It has paid off. The first 9 weeks of the Slow-Carb Diet saw a loss of 9 pounds. (This week is skewed, because I had my cheat day on Thanksgiving, the day before — instead of after — my weighing. It should be back to normal by the next weighing.)

In a few weeks, I’ll return to the Bod Pod to see if my body fat percentage has also dropped.

My kettlebell workouts continue to improve, but I’m flat in my other exercises. I hope it’s not related to diet, but perhaps it’s an unavoidable trade-off.

I eat well and in good but not huge quantities. I enjoy my cheat days, and I also enjoy the return to routine on Sundays. And I don’t feel the need (yet) to go all out in preparing fancier meals to head off boredom.

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November’s average workout time was 25 minutes and 25 seconds.

I averaged 2,130 calories a day in November. I also had 130 g protein a day on average.

The project has cost me $770.99 so far. I spent $129.10 more on food in November compared to previous monthly averages.

You can see all the numbers updated in real time on the Measurements page.

Week 65 - side