Vegetarian Weigh-In #4

Part of any experiment is the process of learning, revising, and trying again. I found that out this week.

Monday I started a new job, one with which I'm very happy, and as part of the "Welcome Aboard" celebration my co-workers took me out to lunch both Monday and Tuesday. As the only resident South Beach vegetarian I was at a loss to find a completely compliant meal. So I stayed true to the veg diet while cheating on the South Beach. No big deal, I would just skip my designated cheat meals later in the week. Besides, they were only two meals out of six and just as many snacks.

But then I found my office complex sets out free hot chocolate for the employees. I wouldn't drink it till I found it was low-sugar. Bingo! I had at least two cups a day, knowing I had similar hot chocolate at my apartment which I knew to be diet compliant. All was well, I exercised four days this week, and excitement hit as Friday morning saw me stepping onto the scale. I couldn't wait to see how many pounds I shed.

206. Still.

206? Wasn't I here last week? I stepped off, got back on. 206. A third time. 206.

Did the scale bounce? Sure did, between 203 and 206. But in the end it stopped on the higher number. I didn't let it leave my mind as I drove to work, and finally decided some things:

1) Either I'm plateauing, or
2) The hot chocolate, as sugar-free as it may be, was not to be confused with low-fat or low-carb.

I drank enough hot chocolate that I'm sure it could've made the difference between holding weight and losing it. Unfortunately, then, I've merely held weight this week. And needless to say, I will be drastically cutting my office hot chocolate intake and bringing in my own South Beach approved cocoa (which I've already done).

At first I was tempted to be disappointed until I reminded myself that every venture has periods of setback and stagnation, harmless events so long as you walk away with more knowledge. That's me this week. Still 206 (although I am bouncing between 203!). Fine. Next week I'll drop the pounds meant to be dropped this week.

Other than that everything's pretty much the same. Same high energy, same overall great feeling, same lessening hunger. I am having mucho problems sleeping, however, and I'm not sure why. I've deduced that either my new diet has given me TOO much energy or I'm simply struggling with my routine February insomnia (a condition which seems to inflict me in--you guessed it--February). I lay down at 11:00 and don't fall asleep until 1:00 or later. Tuesday and Wednesday I took sleeping pills, which helped tremendously, but last night I decided to test myself without them. I lay awake from 11:30 to 1:00 before snoozing. When I woke up, however, I woke up before my alarm and fully alert, which is par for the course with the vegetarian diet.

I wonder to myself if my body, because it is feeling healthier and has more energy, can function without as much sleep as before. Perhaps. Personally, I think this would rock if it were true.

So, I'll try it tonight and all through the weekend. In fact, even into next week. Thus, I have a brand-new experiment to track along with vegetarianism. And if I ever stumble, just like this week I'll get back up, dust off and try again.

Here's to re-invention!

Vegetarian Weigh-In #3

This week turned out hella good for the diet. Came up with some new dishes for variety's sake, didn't eat as much as previous weeks because I wasn't craving or hungry nearly as much, and exercised Monday through Friday. Stepping on the scale this morning showed me that I continued to weigh in at 206 pounds, which is better than the 206 pounds I weighed last week. What did you just say, Chris? Let me explain...

Last week, the scale bounced between 206 and 209 before finally settling on 206 (don't ask me why it didn't bounce from 206-207; it's digital and weird like that). Wanting to face the truth and not shirk away from progress (or a lack thereof), I tested the scale three times last week as per my usual routine. Each time it bounced around before resting on 206. Okay, fine. I'll take it, but when the scale bounces like that I know I'm probably very close to 206 but for whatever reason I'm actually straddling the fence, i.e., somewhere just above 206. So today when I weighed myself the scale went to 206 right away and--get this--bounced between 206 and 202! Ultimately it stopped at 206, however, telling me that I'm now on the underside of that weight, and so long as I keep up this diet and exercise routine I'll see myself drop a couple more pounds by next Friday. So, today's 206 is better than last week's 206. Got it?

Energy continues to be in abundance (perhaps too much; see below). When I wake up I do so immediately and feel completely refreshed. Only one night this week did I break my 7:00-8:00 deadline, and that only because I missed a meal earlier in the day. Good energy returns all around.

If you remember, last week I made the goal of eating more fruit, and I'm happy to report that goal was accomplished. I also found whole grain, low-carb pasta and low-carb, low-fat sauce to go along with it, meaning that good times are here again! It felt so good to eat pasta after an incredible amount of time away. I also found ingredients for a vegetarian, South Beach-approved burrito, which I've yet to try. I bought some new snacks that were diet-compliant as well, helping vary the tastes available to me. Probably the best week for the diet so far.

Two problem areas have arisen, however: 1) Water consumption. Frankly, I can stand to drink more. All the fruits I've been eating have helped, but falling back on them isn't good enough, so this week I make it my goal to drink more water. 2) Sleep. I've had a rough sleep schedule this week, and I'm not sure why. I had good bedtimes last weekend and even got to bed on time this week, but each night I laid down I stayed awake for more than an hour. Some nights I was awake until 2:00 in the morning! I either have too much energy and am not ready for bed at 10:30-11:00 (very possible as I still feel very alert and awake at night), or my circadian rhythms are messed up causing me to want to sleep in till 9:00. Either way, going into this weekend I plan on staying up late, waking up early, going about my day and getting to bed by 11:00. Hopefully this will re-set my internal clock, making me sleepy when I'm supposed to be. Let's hope so, as I start a new job on Monday and don't want to go in completely zombified.

What a great week! At this point I encourage everyone to load up on the fruits and greens, cut the carbs and sugars, exercise regularly, and cut yourself off at Prime Time. The results will probably surprise you.

Here's to another feel-good week!

-C

Amazing Update #1

What an amazing week!

At the end of 30 days I'll get into the nitty gritty, but for now I can tell you that twice this week I surprised myself with the amazing things I've been able to do. Two days were pre-planned, two were spontaneous. I'm excited with where this experiment is headed, and can't wait to see what I achieve at the end of the month.

The sun has not set on a single day this week without at least something incredible occurring. I expect only more for the next week. ;)

-C

Do something amazing

Been thinking alot lately about the times in my life when I've performed some of my more amazing feats. The time I raised my math grade from an F to an A more than 2/3rds of the way into the school year. The year-long exercise regimen in preparation for Basic Training II, strength-training three days a week, cardio the days in-between (I stopped running in the winter, but the strength-training never let up--ever). Performing a controversial song at my high school during classes, getting requests to perform from students AND teachers, then getting banned by the administration due to content (I wear it like a badge!). Working 80 hours a week my first summer in Chicago in order to pay off school. Working 70 hours the very next summer (three jobs total). Passing every test of Basic II with a first-time Go (after failing nearly everything in Basic I). 700 songs, spanning a 14 year period, yet to be recorded (it's coming). Writing a novel to 466 pages. Writing another novel to 366 (and still in progress). Making a movie. Starting a business. Working on an album (and a hip-hop album at that!). Finishing the last two classes of my college career on my own a good five years after leaving campus (one of my proudest accomplishments, no doubt).

I'm proud of everything I've done, the bumps I took to make it all happen, and the maturation process inherent in the challenge. I smile as I reflect. Good times.

Now, before I go any further, I'm sure some who read this will accuse me of not being humble. Tacked onto the list of my accomplishments some misinformed Christian is bound to joke, "Yeah, and you're humble, too!" (giggle, chortle, giggle) Such Christian sub-culture pap! I want to clear the air with you, dear reader: Being humble translates into the unwavering belief that all humanity is equal. In expounding on my achievements I have never delineated nor espoused the view that they make me better than the next guy. I don't believe I'm a better person; I just believe I've done more amazing things. Hence, my humility remains intact. My modesty, on the other hand, can be challenged. ;)

What's the point, then? Why all the talk about amazing achievements? I've said all the above to say this: It has become my belief that everyone, regardless of circumstances, can do something amazing in their lives. More to the point (and this is what I'm most excited about), I believe everyone's capable of doing something amazing every single day of their lives!!!

"Wow," you say to yourself, "Chris has really gone off his rocker." The jury's still out on my mental stability, but suffice it to say I honestly believe we are capable of amazement every waking day. I'm not about to cookie-cutter such a maxim by claiming there's an Amazing Things To Do list from which we can all draw, thus guaranteeing daily amazement. No, no; this idea is relative to your unique situation. Only you can determine what amazing opportunities await you, whether they lay at home, work, on your commute, your Bible study, church, group of friends, family, etc., etc. I know you're capable of it, so you need to ask yourself, "Where's my amazement? Where's my incredible???"

Some out there, to be sure, will balk and tell me that some of my accomplishments aren't really that amazing; good, great, praiseworthy, they may say, but short of amazing. "Chris," they'd say, "lots of people pass Basic Training II with first-time Go's in every class." My response? They sure do, but rare is the man who's done it the way I had to do it. Failing nearly everything the first time around, getting deathly ill, coming home for Senior year of high school and working out 6 days a week every week until the next summer, then passing everything my first time around. And that's not special? I shake my head at them. They are the underwhelmed, and they're simply too blind to see the incredible in that situation. For me, it's pretty damn amazing, especially considering the type of person I was back then.

But the point they raise is the same one I confront now: How do we define amazing? What makes something incredible? My definition has always been simple, and it's the surest litmus test for fantasticality: How much of contemporary society do you surpass with what you are doing? In other words, Is everyone and their mom accomplishing the same thing, or are you in an elite group of doers?

I have a good friend of mine who just this weekend witnessed to a longtime friend of hers, a friendship stretching all the way back to high school. I don't know all the details yet, but I don't need to in order to know this is an amazing achievement. I've been a Christian for over 13 years and I know how very few Christians witness to their unsaved friends. Christendom feels safer testifying before strangers than they do someone as intimate as a friend, someone who knows them and their weaknesses. So, in the grand scheme of things, witnessing itself is pretty rare, and witnessing to close, unsaved friends is even rarer. But my friend did it, and I couldn't be prouder of her. How amazing!

Another friend recently adopted two kids from overseas. What was supposed to be a two month stay in foreign land turned into a five month trip from hell. A dwindling food supply, corrupt local officials, greedy attorneys, medical roadblocks and emergencies (including one scary near-death experience), and a fast flight out of Dodge on the last day of their visas made the entire trip a bittersweet mixture of pain and euphoria. My friends have reclaimed the swing of their normal lives, but, man, what an achievement! They endured all of the above and so much more for the love of the children they'd adopted. A lot of people (most people) would have given up and come home, waiting for the country to get its act together. But my friends didn't; they stayed with them, knowing the children (still infants at the time) needed to bond with their future parents, needed the attention that the corrupt government agencies and understaffed orphanages weren't going to give them. They stuck it out for the love of their new family. Wow! Truly an amazing feat.

Both stories show people engaged in activities that the vast majority of the populace would deign to accomplish. That stands as the true mark of amazement.

So it's time to ask yourself what opportunities lay ahead for you to perform something amazing. I'm certain you can find a longer term goal, something for which you need to put in work every day and measure your progress with benchmarks and milestones, each one more incredible than the last (this encapsulates my three months of self-study to finish school). Even so, there are daily, smaller-scale achievements you can reach so long as you muster the gumption and courage to try.

Perhaps it's witnessing to a co-worker (yikes!). Maybe it's starting a novel of your own. Or teaching yourself music (each lesson another amazing step). Starting your own business. Losing weight and keeping it off. Getting the girl. Hell, getting a lot of girls! (Trust me when I say that, as a man, if you even asked a girl out you'd be light years ahead of most of your male counterparts.) Maybe it's a decision to switch cities. Perhaps it's helping feed the homeless.

Each long-term goal has several incredible, fantastic steps to completion. Lots of amazement therein. The other short-term opportunities are done in a burst, and oftentimes come spontaneously or don't become visible to us until we're in the thick of our day. Being spontaneous in and of itself can be amazing, too. One night a few years ago, tired of the routine in which my circle of friends had ensconced themselves, I proposed one Saturday night that we take a road trip to Milwaukee and--get this--hit a party at the U of W-Milwaukee. If we couldn't find a party, I reasoned, then at least we could have fun in the city. It was 7:00 at night, and I was pumped. No one, absolutely no one, wanted to go. So, being the guy I am I hopped in my car and drove to Milwaukee my own self. Didn't find a party, but I did have as much fun as one guy can have on a solo road trip. I label such a night as--you guessed it--amazing simply because I broke the norm and tried something new, something head and shoulders above my peers.

What if tomorrow you got yourself out of bed at 5:00 am and studied Scripture for an hour? What if after that you wrote in your prayer journal for 30 minutes and told God everything? What if after that you left the house at 7:00 am, a good hour or so before work begins, and passed out sandwiches to the homeless in your area? Or volunteered the hour to the local soup kitchen? Or bought food to take to a food pantry? What if on the way you saw a stranded driver and pulled over to help him/her get the assistance they needed? What if you made a contest with yourself at work to get all your work done as quickly as possible, then tried to break the record the next day? What if on your lunch break you gained instant momentum by eating what you know you should eat instead of what you've always eaten? What if you wrote the first page of that book idea that's been festering in the back of your brain? Or what if you take a scenic drive with the windows down while belting your favorite tunes from the radio? What if you asked that cute guy/girl to dinner who you've been eyeballing for a month now? What if, after work, you signed up for dance classes? What if you took a road trip TONIGHT to a nearby city and dragged your stick-in-the-mud friends along, gas prices be damned? What if you stopped at a karaoke bar and totally rocked the casbah? Or brought them to tears with your rendition of Sheriff's "When I'm With You"? What if after all that you came home and worked out like you've always meant to, or hammered out another page of that novel, or read up on a topic of interest, or experimented with food and came up with your own concoction? THEN you go to bed. What an amazing day!!!

And to think, you could choose just one of these things and you'd have done something well above the majority. Who, on a given day, can say they've done even one of these things? Amazing, indeed.

I know you got it in you. I sure have it in me. And I make it my goal from this day forward to do something amazing each and every day, whether spontaneously or pre-planned. A journal will keep track of it all, and after 30 days I will share it with you all. I encourage you to do the same.

Here's to amazement each and every day!

-C

Vegetarian Weigh-In #2

Whut up, ya'll?

Yeah, I know, I haven't blogged in a week. I've been soaking in my Steelers' win and taking it easy before I complete the site's revamp. More on the Super Bowl later.

Today was Vegetarian Weigh-In #2, and I'm pleased to say I've finished another successful week. I'm down to 206 pounds and continue to have energy on top of energy. I can see the weight-loss in my face and neck as well as being able to notch my belt one extra hole. I worked out twice this week and stayed true to my diet all week long (with the exception of the Super Bowl, but I'd made concessions for it in advance). I'm still not experiencing the afternoon trough and for the most part I continue to wake-up much easier. I did have problems early in the week with getting up on time which can be traced back to my lack of sleep from the weekend. I've decided to shoot for a stricter sleep schedule on the weekends so as to not throw off my weekdays.

All in all, a very good week. I'm coming up with a routine this weekend for strength-training, again with body-weight exercises. I'll draw up a plan on Saturday and punch it in same day for instant momentum. This will add to both the energy AND weight-loss.

I must admit, there are times when I get hungry enough that I wonder if it's all worth it. This hunger only comes, though, when I'm late for a meal. I'm rarely hungry between meals anymore, or at night after my 7:00 pm deadline. I don't really have a taste for pop anymore, either; my daily consumption has fallen drastically, which I suppose can only be a good thing. The hardest part is walking around the grocery store and seeing all the things I used to buy and wouldn't think twice about eating. If I shop after work (since it's on my route home) then I'm late for my meal, hungry, and going eye-to-eye with all the sugary, carb-loaded sweetness I enjoyed in the past. If I'm satiated, no problem: All the ice cream and cookies in the world can't tempt me. I'm immune to their seductive ways.

And that's the great thing: I'm eating so healthy now that I don't crave like I used to so long as I stick to my schedule. I've eaten two oranges today, and I'm looking at the third. I sometimes leave one of my sandwiches in the work fridge and eat it on the way home instead of lunch. I bring cans of pop to work with me but I only drink them if I'm eating cashews, and even then I don't always need it. I'm hungry at the right times but don't really crave anymore. And for a guy who used to crave all the time that's a HUGE accomplishment.

I'd eat, then an hour or two later be ready for another meal. There never seemed to be enough food in the apartment, and I was always re-stocking. Now the only things I re-stock are oranges and whole grain bread (whole grain bread comes in the smallest loafs! Unbelievable.). South Beach did well to cut my cravings, but going vegetarian has pushed me that extra step to nearly eliminate them completely. Good stuff.

And I have to remind myself in those lean times when I've not eaten yet and the Hot Pockets look almost too good to pass up that the South Beach portion of my diet won't last forever. I'm still on Phase 2, and once I reach my goal weight I can shift to Phase 3 where I get to enjoy pasta again (how I miss you!) and other foods strictly verboten in the first two phases. Phase 3 or not, however, I'll still need moderation, but at least I can expand my dietary repertoire. It'll be nice.

My diet goal for this next week: Include more fruits. I ate lots of fruit the first week, then become so satisfied I only ate them for breakfast this week. My snacks have been cashews, but I'll be switching them out with fruit again to maintain balance and energy.

Here's to another healthy week!

ain't no party like a vegetarian party

the official first weigh-in occurred this morning for the vegetarian south beach diet and the results are awesome! two pounds lost, lots of energy gained, and every morning easier to wake-up than the last.

all this and i only exercised once this week. i've been busy almost every night, so exercise took place on monday, my only free time. with that said, here's a rundown on how my first full vegetarian week progressed:

monday: with the lunch dilemma fixed, i found myself enjoying my first full day of fruit snacks and low-sugar, low-fat, low-carb, meat-free meals. i was incredibly hungry between meals, and at night i thought i was going to chew off my right arm. this stems from the fact that i finished eating at 7:00 p.m. and didn't touch anything else until tuesday morning. i felt alert all day and didn't experience the afternoon slough. good first day.

tuesday: still throwing down the fruit, and finish eating by 6:30. resist snacks at small group but still feel like i could eat two pizzas if they were set in front of me. wondering if my appetite will require me to re-think the "no food after 7:00" deadline. hoping so. awake all day, not a hint of tiredness. woke on time and wasn't sluggish or tired at all. i like the benefits of the new diet on this, the second day.

wednesday: wake up before my alarm, giving me a good half an hour to pray to start my day. nice. food stays the same, only notice my appetite becoming satiated with only two oranges as opposed to my standard three. alert and awake, the only thing slowing me down is work. work can be so dull sometimes it's a drag, but i never feel tired so much as restless. break my 7:00 p.m. deadline because i'm not done with errands until almost 8:00. don't eat after that, though, and don't notice any effects on my sleep. have my cheat snack tonight, but it was small enough as to be negligible. get to bed at midnight, at least an hour later than what i'd like.

thursday: awake before the alarm again, pray some more. resist snacks at young adults ministry. feel tired in the afternoon, but not my normal exhausted. when i was eating poorly i would feel completely run-down, like i just wanted to lay out on my desk and take an hour to sleep. today i just felt tired, nothing that would stop me from being active. attribute this to two things: 1) late bedtime the night before, and 2) ran out of oranges for breakfast, forcing a switch to apples. from what the south beach book says, apples are higher on the glycemic index, translating into more sugar and, consequently, a small trough come afternoon. think it had more to do with late sleep the night before than anything.

once i leave work, though, i'm alert again and ready for anything. also noticing my appetite isn't as large now as earlier in the week. i'm still doing three oranges mostly just to make sure i'm full until lunch. other than that i'm not really digging on the in-between meal snacks like i was just a few days ago. i like the satisfied feeling. nights are getting easier, too, as this night my hunger wasn't nearly what it had been other nights. finish eating by 7:00 and am done for the day.

friday: got to bed late again last night but woke on time and not feeling tired at all. food went back to my regular routine. stepped on the scale this morning to see i dropped 2 pounds. sweet!

while i technically have two more days left, i count the first week a success especially given that i've been tempted a few different times this week and didn't succumb. the weekend won't see so many temptations, so i think i'm good to go. i will have pizza for the super bowl, although it'll be of the south beach-compliant kind so it won't be out of bounds. other'nat the weekend looks like a smooth cruise to gaining momentum for the second week.

here's to healthy eating!

Slurp up the free stuff

the title comes from the time my bro-sis from college went to ed debevic's in downtown chicago. he threw a fist full of straws across the table (per usual ed's rudeness) and told us to "slurp up the free stuff," meaning the water. i've never forgotten that quote. weird, the things i remember.

anyway, i've commandeered the title, ripped it from its context, all in an effort to broadcast to every frenzy regular that change is a-coming. soon, probably within the next week or so, i'll rearrange frenzy into more of a personal development blog. with that in mind, most of my previous posts will either be privately archived or deleted altogether. the private archives will remain online but unable to be viewed without my permission. if i delete it, however, it will be gone forever in order to clear space for new articles. so read up on the past manifestations of frenzy of cognition while they last!

my decision to go this direction stems from my desire to help people, honestly. i feel stepping out in this manner will help me accomplish that goal by providing both support and inspiration as well as an accountability tool and stimulus for growth. i'll post on my own progress with regards to my objectives, my thoughts on how to grow, lessons i've learned from life and friends and family and the wide swath of reading that i do. nothing is off limits as my mind touches nearly every subject imaginable. i predict it will be a fun and very challenging ride. i'm looking forward to it.

that said, my domain name will also be changing. i'm researching the most traffic-friendly name right now, trying to determine which moniker best upholds the purpose of the new blog as well as maximizes traffic potential. i'll post the name well in advance of actually changing it so as to prepare everyone. don't want you missing out on the good stuff.

that said, the clock has begun ticking. here's to re-invention!

The vegeterian diet has begun in earnest

friends,

i've been slowly acclimating myself to a vegeterian version of the south beach diet this past week, and by thursday i had pushed all meat out of my menu. saturday and sunday i managed to stay within the veg diet but cheated on the south beach side of things (within my allotted cheat provisions, of course). now i stand before you (just imagine it) with my fridge completely stocked full of fruit and greens, my daily lunches decoded, and my snacks as healthy as ever.

lunches were a killer for me to figure out as i tried everything from naked provolone cheese to guacomole dip to cheese spread on my sandwiches. i went the jimmy john's route and tried slapping multiple slice of provolone between whole grain wheat. that alone tasted bland, so next day i spread guacomole dip between them, topping it off with fat free mayo and tomatoes. the first few bites were okay. after that the sandwich went downhill fast.

next day i tried some cheese spread. the resulting taste made me nauseous the remainder of the afternoon, so much so i almost skipped small group. thursday i tried nothing but fruit all day, and come friday i'd concocted a low sugar, low fat pb&j sandwich that meets both south beach and the veg diet. besides tasting great, the sandwich is guilt free and also satiates my hunger. experimentation over.

already i've noticed a difference in energy level. from thursday on i haven't felt as tired later in the day, specifically after lunch when the "afternoon slough" kicks in. in fact, coming home friday night i was remarkably alert, thinking it was time for some action (redman, "time for sum akshion", whut? thee album, 1992). saturday and sunday were the same. even after my cheat snack (ice cream) i felt good. so far i like how this is transpiring.

my menu's a simple one, yet very tasty and filling. breakfast consists of three oranges (i have a large appetite). for snacks until lunch i have a handful of peanuts (lightly salted and dry roasted). lunch now consists of two low-fat, low-sugar pb&j. for the afternoon i pick through a small tupperware bowl of cantelope chunks. i have yet to nail down a rotation of dinners as this weekend consisted of south beach-appropriate pizza, but i'm working on it. i'll keep you updated.

so far, so good. i've also decided not to eat anything past 7:00 p.m. i've read in more than one place that eating too close to bedtime bogs down digestion and saps energy from the body while it's sleeping. hence, if you chow down before going to bed you'll wake up just as tired at 7 a.m. as you were at 11 p.m. so, last night i finished dinner at 6:30 and, despite a late-night hunger, refused to eat a bite until this morning. i'm happy to say that my experiment paid off: when i woke up i did so quickly and easily. i'll keep trying it out just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

as i write this now i'm satisfied hunger-wise and feeling awake. all this without caffeine, too! how many people can say that???

i've begun exercising to dance dance revolution again. initially my goal was to dance for one hour and burn 600 calories (much like i did each day over christmas break). don't really have the time for such a superman goal right now, however, so i'm looking at 300 calories in half an hour, exactly one-half of my original goal. i did it yesterday and now have the momentum to push forward through infinity. i'll be tracking weight loss every friday (i.e., only jumping on the scale on fridays), and hopefully the combo of veg south beach and dance exercises will produce desirable results. i hope to integrate a strength training regimen three days a week. my room's clean now, so i have the space for those bodyweight exercises! i may have to let my schedule simmer down a little before i can determine the best time of day for strength training. either way, i'm glad to be exercising again.

here's to health and energy!