What An Industry!

It is estimated that the weight loss industry was worth $390 billion in 2010 and will be something in the area of $671 billion  by 2015.  The saying should be, "The only guarantees in life are death, taxes and being bombarded with information on how to lose weight!"

This week in USA Today, they posted some new books hitting the shelves.  These are big books.  Big money too.  I looked over them and wonder what it could be that they write so much about. 

I have lost weight and I don't think I would need much more than a chapter or two to go over what my silver-bullet secret is in depth.  My "secret" was learned at H3. 

I like to refer to Bob Wright at Hilton Head Health when I think about how to navigate all of the sure-fire solutions and diets out there.  I call it my "Wright Wradar".  In short, it just means to use a good common sense filter when considering some of these books and strategies out there.

I scanned the article from USA Today but it just did not turn out good, however that is not stopping me from posting them for some filler on this blog ;-)

Looking them over, the synopsis of each gives me some direction on which books I find to be a complete waste of money and which books might be just a long read with some OK information in them.  The only one I would buy straight out is the book on the Volumetrics Diet.  I prefer to not call it a diet because it is what I practice everyday at home.  This is basically the concept of taking everyday meals and making the portions bigger by using other, low calorie ingredients (usually veggies) to bulk them up.  In a nutshell, don't eat like a bird when you feel like you need to cut calories.

My thoughts based on the synopsis of each book is below.  DISCLAIMER - I am truly judging these books by their cover and 2 sentence synopsis:

• S.A.S.S. Yourself Thin - 4 meals a day with whole foods, and mandatory dark chocolate.  Hmmmm....sounds like a long book to tell you to eat good veggies and treat yourself a little.
• The Dash Diet - Pick foods you enjoy, don't set unrealistic goals, blah, blah, blah.  Same book, different title.  I have actually read the concept of this (Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension).  It was wordy and complex.  Just long enough and complex enough for people to say 'Forget it!".  It does not need to be.  Save your time and money.
• The Starch Solution - Eat rice, starches, rice, corn, etc.  Avoid fats and oils.  This is a new one....the opposite of the Atkins essentially.  I would be curious to see what the calories on this thing suggests.  Either way, it is NOT sustainable long term much like Atkins and therefore just another gimmick diet, not a lifestyle change.
• Ultimate Volumetrics Diet - Again, I prefer this one but just call it 'How to cook with volumetrics' and leave it at that!
• The Blood Sugar Solution - A six week plan to reverse Type II Diabetes and obesity renamed as Diabesity avoiding processed food, blah, blah, blah regurgitated.  Brilliant.  Then what the heck are you supposed to eat after the 6 weeks?  This guy says one of the the biggest mistake dieters make is counting calories.  Uh, really?  This guy is a chip off of the PT Barnum block!
• Weight Loss Boss - Written by the CEO of Weight Watchers (intriguing).  This does focus on habits you can maintain for life and not just  2 month period of deprivation.  Did we need a book to tell us that?

Don't get suckered in here folks.  Follow these rules at no charge and you still have the rest of the night to read a good book.

• Know what your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is.  You can calculate this at the Hilton Head Health daily blog under nutrition.
• Track your meals.  Eat what you want, but be accountable for every calorie.  I think the need to eat bigger meals will win out over just eating what you want.
• Get 50 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week doing exercises you enjoy.  Exercise means 'increased heart rate'.
• Wash, rinse, repeat.

There you have it!  The SECRET IS OUT and I am not going to make a dime of that $671 billion.  Oh well, maybe Al will give me a loan (had to do it....been a long time since he got a mention).

Sorry for the bad scans....you can probably find this article out on USA Today if you want to read it for yourself.

One Year Later...

Today is a very special day for me.  One year ago, I began the most amazing, life changing and body transforming journey.  I thought today about how I felt as I went through that first day at Hilton Head Health. 

First was the blood work.  Bob threatened to use dull, dirty needles on me because he is a Braves fan and I am a Twins fan.  He still is not quite over the 1991 World Series I guess.  I liked him from the first meeting even as he poked me and delivered some bad news to me.  My cholesterol was OK by number but the HDL was so low, he could not get a reading.  All of my cholesterol was bad, LDL.  My blood sugar revealed that I was a walking type II diabetic.  I work in this data every day and knowing the number of comorbidities that accomodate diabetes, it was a dose of reality that really hurt.  It reinforced why I was there yet was devastating news.  Hopefully the damage was not too far along and I would get better.

I remember struggling to do pretty much anything fitness related as one might expect for someone nearing 400 pounds.  The staff were all amazing though with their encouragement and faith that I would get stronger.  Even riding my bike the 1.5 mile ride from my condo to H3 was hard and bring me to pant uncontrolled. 

The days were long but the weeks were short.  Before I knew it, I was on that flight to MSP with a renewed sense of drive and some goals set.  Could this really be the solution to being overweight?  Did they tell me the secrets that I had searched for? 

It was so simple.  It was too simple.  I had tried everything!  Body for Life challenges, Redux, Atkins, South Beach, and anything else that looked like it was the silver bullet. 

I found an incredible bond with all of the employees at Hilton Head Health.  From the instructors to the fitness team.  You even gain bonds with the interns and culinary staff.  They all play a key part in that well rounded recipe for success.  While everyone was special, I found a bond with Jeff Ford that still exists today.  A day does not pass where I don't think of him or some memory of being at H3 getting rowdy with him in treading or ultra-circuit.  He became my @home coach and I consider him a great friend. 

An unexpected connection was with the other guests while I was there.  Many are still good friends and connections yet today. 

So tonight as I ran 5 miles in celebration of a great year and went out for a nice light dinner with a certain 'Pals' of mine, I took pride that I was still eating healthy and still losing weight a year later...something I have never done before on any 'diet'.  This is my life now.  I can celebrate the good times and treat myself but always go looking back to the healthy meals.  As my dinner companion tonight realized, the couple next to us were talking about how they were too full, and feeling like they could not move.  We had a GREAT meal and felt like a million bucks.  It is SO AWESOME to feel like this.

This trip would not have been as easy as it has been though if not for my friends from H3, trainers like Jeff, Karla, Adam and Amber and the tips from the culinary staff like Jen and Karla.  This change would certainly not have been possible without great support from my immediate family and my extended family.  They helped make my trip possible.  I only want to make them proud.  I also have to thank my coworkers from the guys I work with every day to the HR department and senior management that supported my leave of absence.  I feel that I am 100x the employee I was a year ago. 

I now look forward to this new year. I can only imagine how fantastic it will be. To the people that had the room next to me at the Oakland Hilton that put the note about my snoring keeping them awake all night and told me that I needed to get help. Well, I did. I found the best place on earth to get help! Anyone can do this. Just start today. Before you know it, a year will pass.

The last time we'll have to see all of this guy....March 2011



My Awesome Family After a 7K Race! 

Andy and Jim with me before the start...looking ready to RUN!

Celebrating an awesome finish to the Get Lucky 7K with awesome coworkers!

Super Justification

Justification. I am the king of justification. Whether it is justifying on how badly I need something and the money used for it to be legitimate or whether it is an occasion to go overboard on food. It seemed that even before I changed my lifestyle, I looked forward to those occasions. When you feel badly about how you eat or how you do not take care of yourself, those days are your days to say that you deserve it. The only happens once a year, right? I used to eat Super Bowl quantities of food EVERY day….but on Super Sunday, it was OK in my mind.


So many people use the Super Bowl to go crazy. Bob Wright of Hilton Head Health gave statistics on their daily blog about how many tons of chicken wings would be eaten on Super Sunday.

Does a lifestyle change mean no more wings? Does it mean no more indulgences at all? Of course not. If you deny yourself completely, you will be setting yourself up for binges and situations you will later regret. I do think that a lifestyle change means you should moderate yourself even on those days. Find some healthy alternatives to take up some of the bulk but still enjoy those favorite items.

If you are like the guy below, I hope you planned for it. I hope you do not find yourself in a situation where you regret where you allowed yourself to go. No matter if it is an event like a Super Bowl party, a holiday with family or just a comfort food day, plan for it. When you plan for it, you have an understanding of what you will allow yourself and can govern your behavior on that. It should be no different than a goal when you hop onto a treadmill. You get on knowing what you want to accomplish from a time, speed and distance perspective. When you reach that goal, you are done. Treat these special events the same way but know what ‘done’ is before you get into the situation and have a pile of bones 8” high on your plate. Plan, regulate and move on. If you follow that, you will not be where you beat yourself up. You will not put yourself into a mental hole. You are living the change.

First Ever Thanksgiving Post

I have been blogging for a few years but this will be my first Thanksgiving post.  Sure, I think we're all thankful for our family, friends and our life we get to live in this country.  I think many of us say they are most thankful for the day or two off from work and maybe the Tryptophan coma they put themselves into.

This year as you may suppose, my thoughts are running high on the thankful chart.  I look back on the year that started rough for me with the end of a long, gruelling project at work in March.  Then I realized I was at rock-bottom with my health and needed to make changes.  I found Hilton Head Health.  From that point on April 24, my life would be forever changed and it is something that I cannot express enough thanks for.

I need to start with my employer for granting me the leave of absence and work accomodations.  Then add in my sister for helping me financially with the cost of going to H3.  My wife and kids had to sacrifice as well with me gone for 28 days straight.  Traveling for work has me home on the weekends at least but this was a full month of absence.

Now we come to the H3 staff.  EVERYONE needs to get a mention.  Bob for his wisdom and understanding, Beth for her good ear to hear my story, Adam for the fitness leadership and knowledge, Amber for being tough on us sick guys, Katie for being so awesome as a trainer in and out of the pool, Kat and Kelia for their awesomeness in keeping us happy while onsite.  Christie and John at the front desk to help out with anything or just chat with when you are too sore to go to another workout.  Karla gets a special nod because she is sweet, can cook up a storm and then kick your butt in Cardio Boxing which is my most favorite thing at H3!  Louise for being so kind to chat with and also as a trainer...I miss doing step with her!  Chef Jen for showing me that you can eat different food for 28 days that is healthy and tasty without any exception.  Plus, she is a former Minnesotan...special in my heart.  She understands us from up north!  Alicia for her chat the day I made my testimonial....you made that easy and are a great asset to H3!

Jeff gets his own paragraph.  When I went to H3 if you would have told me that my closest friend leaving would be a 22 year old guy that does ironman competitions, I would have laughed you off.  Jeff is that guy.  We hit it off in class with our mutual love of the challenge but also in how we enjoy the energy and dare I say cutting it up in class.  I fed off of his energy and I think that is mutual.  Then add in the @home coaching.  I looked forward to our sessions which at first were keeping me stable and eliminating the risks of my upcoming weeks.  In the latter meetings, it was more about success and just chatting about what he and I had going on in training and life in general.  I could go on forever about Jeff but I will save something for later/

Now, we come to the amazing people I met at H3,  Lifelong friends.  Dale B, Kelly B, James W, Big Daddy, John, the man that showed me what a metabo-oyster is, my lady friends from North Carolina and Lousiana Lisa, Liz F, John D., Maglio C, Cari D, Chemain, the new friends I made from the cast of Heavy like Stacia, Julia, Johnny and Debbie plus so many others I know I am forgetting.  Throw in the new crew that was there for Devin's Dash that knew me before I got there.  Keep reading these posts and keep working hard!  You inspire me knowing I may have inspired you! 

This year with 118 pounds lost to date has been my best year.  I feel amazing and can do amazing things.  Thankful does not even begin to cut it.  I look forward to the next year and the challenges I have before me such as losing an additional 60 pounds, transitioning to 10Ks, 10 milers and an eventual 1/2 marathon.  Yes Jeff, a spring tri is in there too. I look forward to having amazing health as I turn 41 in a couple of weeks. 

Thank you all for helping me make this monumental change in my life.  Thank you for SAVING my life.  That is something worth being thankful for.

I should save something for a New Year's post but I want to wish you all on a quest to get healthy and lose weight the courage, stamina and strength to beat your demons and kick obesity's butt!  You have all the tools you need to do it. 

Why A Pill For Everything?

USAToday ran this story recently on rasining good cholesterol (HDL).  We all know we need to keep our HDL higher and our LDL lower....well, we (I) know this now.  When I got to Hilton Head Health (H3), I was surprised that the day I arrived, my HDL was 7.  Just....7.  Despite my total cholesterol being in a decent range, the fact that I had all bad LDL was not good news.  To quote Bob Wright, I had lots of garbage (LDL) but no garbage trucks (HDL) to take it away.

Over the course of my stay at H3 for 28 days, I managed to raise my HDL significantly through diet and exercise.  This is not something that is necessarily a common outcome at H3 since their nutrition limits us to 1200 calories a day.  Given my starting point of 7, I guess even with those dietary restrictions, mine had nowhere to go but up!

When I read the story, I found myself with mixed feelings about it.  Another drug is possibly coming available to help raise your HDL.  That is just what America does NOT need....another pill to help accomodate their bad eating and fitness habits.  Have Type II Diabetes....we have pumps, pills and shots.  If you have bad cholesterol, we have pills that lower and soon pills that raise the good. 

The piece that nobody seems to pay attention to in drugs like this is the risk of taking it.  The story points out that an earlier CETP inhibitor actually raised the risk of heart problems. 

Now, like obesity, I believe some people are just not blessed with the right genetics to fend it off.  Same goes for limited diabetics.  If your pancreas just does not do what it is supposed to, that is when the meds are a GREAT innovention in our lives.  The problem with having a pill for everything is that it is far too easy to swallow compared to putting in some effort of eating right and moving your body.

Before jumping into a lap band, pill or medicine to address your cholesterol, weight or diabetes, give yourself one seriously honest effort at fixing it through diet and exercise.  If that does not work after a truly devoted effort, then turn the page to medicine.  You can do this like I have and feel so much better about it down the line!

Beginning My Next Chapter

Since finding my way to Hilton Head Health in April, my life has not been better.  It was the beginning of this incredible journey towards personal wellness.  We will call that chapter 1.  My stay of 28 days at H3 was great and was very difficult to leave.  I wondered how great it would have been to have been able to do a stay of 3 months or even 6 months as others have done.  My success at home was just as great despite not being able to do it in a 'bubble' having classes with Jeff, Bob, Amber, Karla, Louise and others. 

My leaving H3 had 2 key goals for the upcoming months. 
1) No more use of a seatbelt extender on ANY airplane.    I still carry the old extender with...more as a reminder of where I was.
2) Return to H3 to run Devin's Dash on 10/8/11 without walking   Not only did I complete this but I did one on September 17th in Minneapolis.  Placing 2nd in my age group at H3 was so uplifting and will push me to do more races and get faster! 

Now with the goals met, it is time to start the next chapter in this journey.  I have not yet decided on the goals which surprisingly is the most difficult thing for me to do.  Keep in mind that the goals are behavior or activity based and not based on a number such as pounds lost or size clothing to be in.  The weight lost and clothing changes are just the beautiful by-product of reaching for the behavior goals.

I know that my future goals will include involving others at work and my great friends that I met at H3, especially those that were on the TV show filmed there, HEAVY. 

As I returned to H3 this week, I realized how many people are reading this blog or have watched my now very old H3 testimonial video on YouTube.  I felt like a celebrity!  A big thanks to Jeff for talking me up and using me as an example.  I am so glad that Jeff is my at home coach.  I want to thank everyone at H3, at work, in my hometown and my family for the support. 

You all inspire me to continue this trek!

Find A Way To Stay Inspired

Since my visit to Hilton Head Health, I have not had much of a problem staying motivated.  I have had terrific success in weight loss now over 100 pounds.  I can honestly say that most of that can be accounted for by my steadfast focus on what I eat.  Bob tells us that it is 80% diet but I did not believe it was so true.  Truth is, I have had patterns of good weeks and bad when it comes to working out.  My travel schedule has been crazy and the hotel I stay at has really bad treadmills.  I now have a bike in Florida so that will certainly help me get more workouts in. 

For you, it may be that you have lost the inspiration you need to push through a workout or even start one.  Last week before my first ever 5K, I purchased a Garmin GPS Watch.(Garmin 405CX).  Since my purchase, I have used it on the race and 2 bike rides here in Florida. 

For those that do not know me, I am a geek.  Specifically, I am a data geek.....and I love toys.  This is the coolest thing!  It tracks your route, speed and split times between miles.  I have not used the heartrate monitor yet, but am excited to add that component to it so I can not only see my speed, pace and elevation changes over time but my heartrate as well.

If you go to this link, you can see my bike ride from this morning.  This link goes to my first ever 5K. 

I have had a few rides/workouts when I was just struggling to keep the pace or intensity.  This has given me that added new inspiration to push through.  Go fast.  Work a little harder.  I don't want to look at those stats later on and see proof that I was dogging it!  Maybe that is just my competetive nature mixed with a little OCD. 

Whatever it takes, mix it up and find the tools or methods that make you push it and keep the inspiration!  Do this whether you are fit and staying that way, or on a journey like me. 

Little of This, Little of That...

As I get to know more people in our Florida office, the more I like it down here.  The people in our office are SO warm and friendly.  I want to welcome a couple of ladies from the Florida office to the Orracle pages!  I am excited to share ideas and maybe start some walking groups down in that office. 

A word on WHACK.... It looks to be spreading again!  It is like Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution except just WHACK!  HA!  I love it when someone tries it and they say how much they love it.  Better yet is when they say how good they felt that day and how they were not hungry.  That is the beauty of Breakfast Whack.  I literally don't leave home without it.
One thing that I was thinking about this week was how we are truly products of our environment and while we cannot control every aspect of our environment, we can avoid putting ourselves in situations that may become higher risk depending on who you are and what your vices are.  If you take the steps necessary to control the situations you are in, you stand a much better chance of succeeding and meeting any goals you are trying to reach. 

I also wanted to put a link to a great post by Bob Wright on the H3 blog related to the newest fad diet, the HCG diet.  In South Florida, I have seen ads on TV for this and even had a conversation with a server at Red Lobster about it.  At the risk of restating Bob's thoughts - I'll give you my perspective....

When I first heard of this, my first thoughts were related to the calorie restrictions.  First of all, are you losing weight rapidly because of the drug or because of the calorie restrictions?  Secondly, if this diet is so amazing, why do you have to restrict your intake so much?  Lastly, what is their suggested plan for when you finish the 500 calorie regiment?  My hunch is that you will go back to what you were doing before. 

Now, even eating healthy, I could restrict myself to 500 calories.  The truth is, I am not on a diet.  I am living this way.  There will be a day when I stop losing weight but continue to eat this way.  It does seem simple when I think about it but before my eye-opening, life changing experience at H3, I like so many others just did not see this simple solution.  We are blinded by the thousands of diets, books and TV shows with every other concoction for weight loss success when in reality they are just short term fixes and usually very restrictive.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Keep thinking wellness and keep living well!

A New Favorite Restaurant!

I remembered Bob Wright from Hilton Head Health talking about a great place to eat where everything on the menu was low calorie and made from real, healthy ingredients.  I realized that place was Seasons 52 and they are all over South Florida where I have been spending much of my time.  I was alone for dinner tonight and headed that way. 

I liked the short but diverse menu.  Every item is under 475 calories.  I asked about the appetizers also and they also are all under 475 calories.  Not wanting to eat 2 items at 475, I asked for specifics.  Not only were specifics available, but they had the numbers for calories, fat and cholesterol!  WOW!  I knew I wanted the Snapper Piperade which is mentioned in this article.  I was curious about the Chipotle Glazed Shrimp or the Buffalo Chili for an appetizer.  The shrimp was 270 calories and the chili was 210 or 260 depending on the size ordered.  I went for the chili which was possibly the most amazing thing I have tasted in ages!  WOW!  The waiter told me that the secret ingredient was Guinness. 

The Snapper Piperade was 380 calories and served over a stack of marinated jicama, black beans, thin and crispy green beans and shredded red and yellow bell peppers. 

If more people could taste this food, I think they would realize how GOOD this food can taste without blowing your budget on calories.  Why do the Cheesecake Factory?  Why do that to yourself when such amazing flavors and combinations await somewhere else?

Bob was (W)right again!  This place is the real deal!  I cannot wait to go back.

No, HOLD the Firecracker....It Is SAFER!

Tonight, I overheard something that shocked me. It perplexed me. It made me want to yell at the top of my lungs. It made me realize why this country is so sick.

I was at Ruby Tuesday's having dinner in Miami Lakes, FL. Ruby Tuesday's is becoming a new favorite when I am traveling because of their huge list of fresh fit sides and other healthy options on their menu.

Today I tried a new summer special item called the Seafood Mixed Grill. I had them 86 the rice pilaf and subbed an extra side in. For the sides I had their roasted spaghetti squash and broccoli. In the main dish it was a smaller cut of Mahi Mahi, 3 grilled shrimp and small portion of grilled salmon made it a SUPER healthy, low calorie dinner.

Back to the tragedy that happened next to me.

It was a family of a mom and three kids. The oldest child was a boy of probably 13-15 years old. He was chubby in all of the places it comes first....butt, chest, hips and tummy. Not grossly fat but certainly overweight. He must be getting picked on about it or is self-conscious because when the waiter took the drink orders, he sheepishly asked for a diet coke. The waiter left and the mom said, "The diet soda is more fattening than the regular!"

What what what?

There is NO way I could have heard that correctly. Maybe she was winking at him and just being sarcastic.

Is this the newest entry in the 'Eat This, Not That' book series?








This is better for you than that?

Now I would agree that water would be the best bet if we were playing Unwise, Better, BEST! **Incidentally, I had that shirt on tonight!!**

Later, the waiter came back and offered refills. The mother spoke up that he should bring COKE this time for her son, not Diet Coke. Picking my jaw off the table, I realized that what I heard the first time was accurate. She believed this. When the waiter brought the new glass, she ACTUALLY TASTED IT to be sure it was not diet! She was CERTAIN that the diet was a horrible choice her son had made.

The only explanations I can conjure up is one of three possibilities:

1) Good old fashioned ignorance. Let's call it 'A lack of education'. This is the main problem in our country when it comes to obesity and health issues.

2) Perhaps she thinks the whole 'Diet' label is a super secret conspiracy and it actually is worse for you!

3) Maybe it is all of the stories about how diet soda tricks the body into thinking that it is real sugar and makes you react in a way that makes you eat more. Perhaps it is a misunderstanding on the study.

I wanted to say something, politely of course....but I did not because if it is scenario 1 or 2, she would never listen. Even on the off chance she would have answered my query as to why she thinks that, it was too risky in the middle of a restaurant and probably not my business.

I have lived both an active, fit life and an unfit, unhealthy life. I know which is easier. I know what it is like to be picked on or judged. That boy was trying to take a small step to make a difference and he was thwarted. I have never been a sugar based soda drinker. I cannot imagine how much worse off I would have been if I had that as an addiction along with food. Food alone put me in a very bad place.

So I ask you....what would you have done? Would you say something or have asked? Would you have left it alone like I did? What if you were an expert in the field like Bob Wright? Would you have said something then?

I am still speechless.

My First Week On The Road!

This week I had my first opportunity to try out my travel skills since leaving Hilton Head Health. I find it surprising where my challenges were this week. I planned my trip to come early on Sunday which would allow me time to get to a grocery store. I did well on the plane but was surprised that the meals in first class do not have any nutritional information available. In that situation, go with what you have learned. There is no question that the chicken breast sandwich was the UNWISE or maybe just BETTER choice vs. the chicken breast salad. It was the BEST choice available. The dressing was on the side so I knew I could dip and spear. Fortunately, the tiny breadsticks had calorie information on them as did the brownie that I just looked at. Fortunately, chocolate is not my vice and it was fairly painless to let it slip away.

Let’s talk about groceries. Publix has horrible produce. Just junk. I managed to get apples, bananas, grapes, Rainier cherries and carrots with a new dip from Marzetti that is a greek yogurt, feta, dill dip and low in calories. I hope I can find that at home!

The eating out went well. I can always get lean filets, fish (especially here in Florida), salads, plain baked potatoes (with lemon....try it!) and grilled veggies. I did have a server at Bahama Breeze suggest that I have my fish grilled with olive oil because A) it has less calories than butter and B) the seasonings in the butter would add too many calories. Um, no….wrong and wrong. Butter actually has a few less calories and seasonings generally have none. Is it any wonder why our country is growing at the waist like it is? What I found amazing was how when I ordered FIRST as Bob suggested, every night, people in my group would follow my lead. More people would make healthier choices than those that did not. Many would just say, “I’ll have the same as Lyle!” I have traveled with these people before and KNOW how they normally would order. That is just amazing to me.

I worked out but was frustrated with the treadmills at the Hampton Inn. I think they have a weight limit of about 200 pounds as they slipped underneath me. I decided to not be defeated and hit the pavement. This is the first time I have walked/run on tar and it really beat up my joints. No more of that for a while. The rest of the week I just did fitball and resistance band stuff with dumbbells and managed to get enough work in.

The challenge came at breakfast. Two of my favorite items are the cheese omelet and the bagel toppers. Why did I even open the steam table cover? Still, I managed to have a poor man’s version of breakfast whack which was Total cereal, strawberry yogurt and a banana. Having the sweetened yogurt and the banana made it WAY too sweet compared to the Real Breakfast Whack but at 280 calories, it sufficed and filled me up. I really did not imagine that the breakfast would be my biggest challenge of the week.



One more night then off to home in the morning. I know where my calories have been but it feels like cheating when you eat out every night. I am curious to see if the scale shows what my food log says it should!

My next challenge will be in a couple of weeks when I do back to back 3 day trips to Cincinnati and Austin. I will be traveling with executives and will not have any opportunity to get fruits and veggies for snacking. Lunches will also be provided which means less chance to make a good choice. Control will be the key. This is my life though and I must learn to deal with every aspect of it. The great part about this week was that I proved that it can be done. Even though everyone has big eyes when you say you have to travel, knowing that it means eating out and in their mind, that means you have absolutely NO chance of keeping control, it is refreshing to know that it is possible with only a little preparation and knowledge. For that, I thank Bob Wright!