Day 1. Its in the bag.

Well, I crossed my first hurdle. I Got through day 1. It wasn't without it's challenges, but I got through it.

i like the old saying "Failing to plan is a plan to fail". I like it because its true. I almost failed. I really wasn't thinking about sunday being Mother's day as I planned on starting on Monday. Usually on Sunday we go to church, then go load up at breakfast, come home for a couple of hours worth of nap time then spend the remainder of the day doing chores and shopping. Well what i didn't account for was my wife wanting to go visit at her Mother's house after dinner on Sunday night. I shoulda known better. so i think i finally made it to the grocery store at around 10 pm. With my do or die shopping list in hand, I made my way up and down the aisles checking labels and checking my gut. I began mentally preparing myself for the coming onslaught of  fruits and vegetables. I tried to imagine a morning without the big cup of coffee with half & half and plenty of sugar. Oh boy. How am I going to do this???

So there I am at 11 something at night brewing up a pot of brown rice, putting together a meal plan and praying. I think i finally got to  bed sometime after 12, having bid a fond farewell to my pretzels, cheese, candy, milk, sugary cereal, crackers, soda, sugary drinks and all of the other stuff that got me where I am today. I very optimistically set my alarm for 6:45 am and dozed off into dream land.

Well, 6:45 came and so did the snooze button. it was well over an hour earlier than what I was used to, and the late night was playing tricks on my mind. But I did it. I got up (a little late) and got to it. I hit the kitchen and gobbled a piece of fruit while I set up my HRM and DVD. i set out my exercise mat and grabbed a bottle of water and a towel. I took a deep breath and hit play. Here goes nothing.

I was able to plow through the 20 + minutes of the YRG Energy workout without too much distress. I was quickly made aware of just how atrophied my muscles had became. I found myself taking a knee on a couple of instances and i could feel my blood squeezing and coursing through my clogging veins. I think i even caught an endorphin rush. I found out real quickly that either I'm technically challenged or the HRM is not very intuitive, but i digress. At the end of that first session, I'm laying there in pinfall position thinking..."Man, I have a long way to go". I got up feeling a sense of purpose and motivation, so I set my phaser on kill and got moving.

I'm not used to getting up early and making breakfast, but thankfully I'm rather adept in the kitchen. My body really didn't know what to do with all this stuff I was shoveling down my throat and it was a rather awkward experience. What I can tell you is that I got to work more alert, got a quicker start, moved more swiftly and overall felt better. The most important meal of the day? I think so.

I was surprised that all it took was another piece of fruit to tide me over until lunch, but it did. Now remember that I was up pretty late the night before, so I didn't prepare a lunch for the day. Now in days past, i would have abandoned ship right then and there and went and looked for something to eat at one of the many restaurants that flank my shop, But something compelled me to do otherwise. I made the short drive home and whipped out my fat reducing grilling machine. A quick flurry of assorted seasonings and the savory aroma of chicken filled the kitchen. Add some rice and veggies and voila! Lunch.

I took some more fruit to work with me to get me thru until dinner, but i was still bonking by late afternoon. I reviewed my YRG nutrition guide and realized that at both lunch and dinner they recommend that you consume a large salad or vegetable soup. Makes sense. I think I'll try that next time. I also think i need to re think some of the meal intervals and keep some raw veggies in the reefer to help in those times of hunger.

So by the time the work day was over, my body was in such a state of confusion that it started to shut down. Nap time. I got up and went and bought a couple of bags of mixed greens for salads (preparation = success) and whipped up some dinner. By the time i was ready for bed i could feel my body aching for some sort of sugar or carbs or something, but i retaliated by slugging back a glass of water and hitting the rack. 

All in all it was a good day. I never got panicked or frustrated. I know that this weekend will be a challenge so I need to start thinking of a plan to combat the bail-out mentality of compromise and stay on track. 50 lbs in 5 months. One day a at time.

DAY 1 Nutrition:

Breakfast: 8 am

Fruit - banana, 1 small, organic (7:15 am)

Protein - 2 eggs, large organic

Veg- diced bell pepper, onion and mushroom

Carb - 1 slice bread, whole wheat

Snack: 10:30 am

apple, 1 organic

Lunch: 1:00 pm

Protein - chicken breast, grilled (sea salt, black pepper, garlic, parsley, red chili powder, hot sauce)

Veg - broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, frozen organic

Carb - brown rice - 1 cup

Snack: 3:30 pm

peach, 1 medium

Dinner: 8:00 pm

Veg - Mixed green salad with sliced carrot, cucumber and radish (light balsamic vinaigrette)

Protein - chicken breast, grilled (see above)

Veg - (same as lunch)

Carb - brown rice, 1 cup

Water intake:

3/4 gallon (12 cups, 96 oz)