The Weight War Has Begun. Watch Out Belly!

First of all, I tip my hat to the New York Giants. They beat my beloved Cowboys. What was up with T-O crying like a baby though? It was hysterically funny! Anyway, seeing the Giants win makes for great drama. The next hurdle is Green Bay, and Green Bay has the best home record, second to only the Pats. The Giants have a proudful statistic as well. They are 7-1 on the road (now they are 9-1), second only to, yep, you guessed it, the Pats. It should be an incredible head-to-head with the Jints, next week. And if they win, they showdown for the rematch between them and the Pats should be a HUGE week for the NFL and football lovers alike. And we all kow that the Patriots are probably going to destroy the Chargers. And yes, another New York-Boston confrontation. You gotta love that.

Off to another war. This is the "WEIGHT" war. I've been completely reckless since I went to my Dad's. Ate tons of carbs in the form of bread and rice. Lots of saturated fat too. Then, my girlfriend, who has been whipping up for me the absolutely most delicious foods, has not helped my girth much either. But since she is Type 1 Diabetic, and since I need to lose weight, we've both agreed last night to follow through.

This morning, I began my diet. I had lost 3 pounds last week, but have put most of it back on. This happens to me because most of it is water weight. It is frustrating. But the war is on. I started counting my calories again. And will start posting on my blog here as well. The war is on, and this is a war I must win. I did fairly well for my first race on Saturday, but I could've and should've done better. My weight is a detriment to my sport. And at 5 feet 8 inches, anything over 160 pounds equates a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 29%. Above 29% is considered "overweight".

I'm no longer going to set a long range goal, but rather work on smaller, more realistic goals.
If I can get to 160, then I'll think about the next goal.

Also, I've decided to cut out any strength training out of the mix until I am under 160. Not even ab crunches. Why? Weight training adds muscle. I don't want to bulk up with what I have now. I want to lose, and then bulk up with what I have remaining.

Will my plan work? Who knows. But I will maintain a close vigilance on my caloric intake, and if I can't count it, then I won't eat it.

Here's what I've got so far:

			Cal	Fat	Sat	Chl	Sod	Crb	Fib	Sug	Pro
Breakfast
0.25	cup	Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat free or skim)	21	0	0	1	26	3	0	3	2
1	1 tbsp	Olivio Butter Spread	80	8	2	0	95	0	0	0	0
0.75	Serving - 8 OZ	SIMPLY ORANGE - ORANGE JUICE - ORIGINAL PULP FREE 1.75 L PLASTIC BOTTLE	83	0	0	0	0	20	0	17	2
1	large	Egg, whole, cooked, fried	90	7	2	210	94	0	0	0	6
1.5	Serving - 61 G	THOMAS' - ENGLISH MUFFINS - HEARTY GRAINS 100% WHOLE WHEAT 6 CT 13 OZ TRAY	180	2	0	0	255	33	5	3	9
1	cup (8 fl oz)	Coffee, brewed from grounds, prepared with tap water	2	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	0
			456	17	4	211	475	56	5	23	19
Lunch
1	1 salad 348g	Wendy's® - Salads - Mandarin Chicken™ Salad (without almonds, rice noodles or dressing) - Iceberg, Romaine, Spring Salad Mix, Mandarin Oranges, Diced Chicken	150	2	0	10	650	17	3	11	20
1	1 packet 21g	Wendy's® - Salad Condiments - Roasted Almonds - may be served with Mandarin Chicken Salad	130	12	1	0	70	4	2	1	4
1	1 packet 14g	Wendy's® - Salad Condiments - Crispy Rice Noodles - may be served with Mandarin Chicken Salad	60	2	1	0	180	10	0	1	1
1.6	Serving - 12 OZ	COKE DIET - COLA - 12 OZ FRIDGE PACK 12 PK PLASTIC BOTTLES	0	0	0	0	64	0	0	0	0
0.25	1 packet 64g 2.25 oz	Wendy's® - Salad Dressings - Oriental Sesame Dressing - may be served with salads (especially Mandarin Chicken Salad)	63	5	1	0	140	5	0	5	0
			403	21	3	10	1104	36	5	18	25
Dinner
1	4 oz.	Mussels	172	4	0	56	0	0	0	0	24
1	cup shredded	Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw	8	0	0	0	4	2	1	1	1
1	serving	Stroehmann Dutch Country Premium Potato Bread	100	2	0	0	170	18	1	3	3
3	1 square	Spinach quiche	282	18	0	0	0	9	0	0	15
			562	24	0	56	174	29	2	4	43
Snack
Water Tracker
Totals Target Balance			1421 1936 73 515	62 65 95 3	7 20 35 13	277 300 92 23	1753 2400 73 647	121 300 40 179	12 25 48 13	45 50 90 5	87 50 174 37
			Cal	Fat	Sat	Chl	Sod	Crb	Fib	Sug	Pro
Activity
Totals			0

I ran over 8 miles today, 3 during lunch and another 5+ after work. I was encouraged by my ramp-up on mileage last week. 28.6 miles is a good pre-base. I think I am going to also push myself, and attempt to follow an basic competitor's schedule for these 16 weeks of training for the Long Island Marathon. There are 5 levels Beginner, Intermediate, Basic Competitor, Advanced Competitor, and Elite.
If I see that I can do more, easily, and without discomfort or risk of injury, then I will reserve the right to promote myself to the tougher schedule. Moderation, and gradual incrementations in my mileage are key to my successes.