Category: Diet

Posted in Diet

The 4th of July

Posted on by Tony

What a Party!

Yesterday was the 4th of July. Family and friends gathered for food drinks and just being together. We made it an all-day affair starting with lunch and then we finished with dinner later.

For lunch, we had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, cucumber salad, and a broccoli salad my son made. It was quite good. I ate too many hot dogs, but, hot dogs are one of my favorite foods.

For dinner, my friend Diana made bbq chicken, and I made bbq ribs. Both came out quite goodly. Diana has a really nice grill. I was a little jealous. If I haven’t said so on this blog before, I am addicted to bbq grills & pits. It seems like I buy one every year.😂 Right now I currently have 4. When I’m in the store and I see one I like, if I have the money, I buy it. I can’t seem to help it.

Anyway, not here to talk about grills. I’m getting better and better at making ribs. I have them at least twice a month. I’ve got my seasoning down pat. And I’m close to perfecting my sauce/glaze, including a few store bought ones I really like. And besides the sauce/glaze being a little high in sugar and carbs, the ribs work pretty well for my diet as long as it is only a couple of times a month.

We all had a great time. There are a lot of teens in our extended family, so we didn’t have too much food left over, which is always good. We got lots of compliments on the food.

I hope you all had as nice a time as we did. Happy independence day.

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Posted in Diet

Challenges

Posted on by Tony

DSC_0058My son has been home from college for several weeks now. We haven’t figured out how to co-exist with our differing eating habits. I really can’t expect him to adapt to my diet. Nor am I blaming him for my failures. Comparatively, our two eating styles are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

In his 20’s, he is still processing sugar as the main fuel source for his body. Had I known in my 20’s or even 30’s what I know now about nutrition I might never have gained weight. Also, when I was in my 20’s and 30’s I probably wouldn’t have listened to anyone who might have known better about nutrition. And neither does my son. Compared to what I need in my diet his is less boring. Hell, my diet bores me.

IMG_0460So we need to find a way for him to have foods he likes and a way for me to be able to resist eating it. The problem is that I am truly addicted to high carb, sugary foods. So are my kids. After all, we did raise them on cereals and lots of carbs when they were younger. And I don’t mean sugary stuff. They rarely ever got McDonald’s, and the cereals they ate were hot cereals, grains; stuff we were taught were wholesome. They also got lots of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, we have trained them to eat in a way that will give them health problems when they are older.

Higher carb diets lead to high blood sugar levels and sometimes ultimately to diabetes and other problems.

Anyway, my son will be here for several more weeks until school starts again. I need to figure out how to stay on track. Right now I feel like a total failure. And not only that, my stomach and butt have been punishing me accordingly.😕

Posted in Diet

200th Post

Posted on by Tony

This is my 200th post. Unfortunately, I am reporting that I have been off my diet for a couple of days. Ever now and then I get these urges for high carb sugary foods. I can’t seem to resist when the urge comes. I have learned not to get upset when it happens. It’s just a thing that happens sometimes.s

So 200! This is actually the first time I have made it to 200 posts, and this is my newest blog. ToneLovette may seem newer, but, it just took me some time to decide what the blog would be. Faithlovengrace is my oldest blog. However, as I’ve grown in this area of my life my mind has changed about a lot of things. Many of the post I have removed because I no longer believe what I had written. Faithlovengrace had been online since 2005 on its own server but has recently been moved to wordpress.com.

I had hoped I would be reporting more success than I have accomplished in my 200th post. However, I have a long way to go to reach my goal. Perhaps by post 300 things will be different. Until then I will keep working.

Tomorrow I will be back on track with my diet. Even though I have been fairly consistent with it I still have not lost any more weight. I will have to make some adjustments somewhere. And I definitely have to figure out how to get more exercise.

 

 

Posted in Diet

Extreme Pain

Posted on by Tony

I may end up in a doctor’s before too long. This morning something in my lower back moved, and I have been in pain ever since. I don’t know what it is but hurts. It is a deep but vague pain. And if I move the wrong way it is a very sharp pain.

I am really irritated.

Posted in Diet

The Makeover Continues

Posted on by Tony

I am holding pretty steady on my diet. I am not cheating as much as I have been all year. At least that is what I thought. Even though I thought I was not cheating by not eating foods outside my diet most of the time, I think I was consuming too many calories. Still, haven’t gained weight, but I haven’t lost any weight either.

Today I went back to using myfitnesspal to track my meals and macronutrients. And as I suspected I ended up eating way less food. So even though I was eating the right foods I had forgotten what the right amounts of food looked like. It was just too much of everything, especially proteins. And proteins in excess can break down into sugars, raising blood sugar.

I am not on a high protein diet. It’s a high-fat diet. The idea behind the keto-diet is to get the body to use fat for fuel. Giving it too much of anything, whether carbs or proteins can result in higher sugar levels in the body, hindering efforts. My goal is to consume 75% fats (the good stuff), 20% proteins, and 5% carbs. This diet works well.

Even though I have not followed my diet very well I still have not gained all the weight I lost last year. I am still 22 pounds under my starting weight. My immediate weight-loss goal is 10 pounds. I think I can do that in 2 months if I can stick to my diet. Right now I’m 245 lbs. I would like to be at 235 lbs. by the end of June. That’s only 5 pounds per month (1.25 pounds per week).

My overall goal weight is 165 pounds. I still believe I can achieve it. I am very excited to still be in this “tltatemakeover.

Posted in Diet

Progress?

Posted on by Tony

I don’t know. I am eating things not on my diet, but not over doing it. I have stopped stressing over it but I haven’t given up. I don’t know yet. Well, probably won’t give up. I don’t want to be sick or fat. Lol!

I have not gained any weight. I still haven’t restarted my walking habit yet. I think it is mostly because I have new toys in the house. I now have two new saxophones and I usually spend most of the day playing one or the other. At times I think I am getting better at it. You may see for yourself if you’d like>>>

I do need to start getting more exercise though. There is no way around that, especially if I’m not (right now at least) being more strict with my diet.

Pain levels in my back are still the same but I’m dealing with it. Anyway, just checking in on this Sunday afternoon.

Posted in Diet

Osso Bucco

Posted on by Tony

This is also a recipe from my previous school. We served it with the Risotto a la Milanese, a recipe I shared a few days ago. I am sure you will enjoy this dish. It is a very good and tasty dish, especially with the risotto.

Ingredients:

VEAL SHANK 8 PCS –2” thick
FLOUR FOR DUSTING
S&P TO TASTE
OLIVE OIL 4 OZ
MIREPOIX, BRUNOISE 4 OZ (1/2 diced onion, 1/4 diced carrot, 1/4 celery)
2 – 3 Cloves garlic, minced
white wine 4 OZ
tomato puree 2 OZ
veal stock 1 PINT
bouquet garni 1 EA ( fresh thyme, parsley, bay leaf and any other herbs you like, bundled together with butcher’s twine)
parsley 2 TBSP
lemon juice 1 OZ

GREMOLATA: PARSLEY, CHOPPED 1 TBSP
GARLIC MINCED 1 CLOVE
LEMON ZEST, GRATED 1 LEMON

Directions:

  1. SEASON AND FLOUR SHANKS.  SAUTE IN HOT OIL.  REMOVE FROM PAN.
  2. ADD MIREPOIX, SAUTE 2 – 3 MINUTES.  ADD GARLIC AND SAUTE LIGHTLY.
  3. ADD WINE AND REDUCE AU SEC.
  4. ADD TOMATO PUREE AND STIR.  ADD VEAL STOCK AND BRING TO A BOIL.  PUT VEAL SHANKS BACK IN PAN.  LIQUID SHOULD COME AT LEAST HALFWAY UP PRODUCT.
  5. ADD BOUQUET GARNI AND COVER.  SIMMER VEAL SHANKS FOR 30 MINUTES.
  6. ADD THE LEMON and PARSLEY.  CONTINUE TO SIMMER UNTIL THE SHANKS ARE VERY TENDER.
  7. REMOVE BOUQUET GARNI AND VEAL SHANKS.  STRAIN THE SAUCE OVER THE SHANKS AND GARNISH WITH THE GREMOLATA.

☚Back to Recipes

Posted in Diet

Perseverance

Posted on by Tony

Well, it’s a new week and a new chance to get on track. I have been struggling since the beginning of the year with my diet, but I am determined to succeed. Besides, my ultimate health would be better if I do succeed and that is very important to me.

I have had an upset stomach for a few days because I have been completely off the diet. I think I have completely exhausted all of my off limit foods now, including the beer in my frig. I am down to only what I need for my diet again. I’m sure my stomach will be grateful in a few days. I will also go grocery shopping later today to get anything I am lacking.

This week I will get back into my walking routine again. It has been about a month (maybe two) since I’ve done it. It had been difficult because of my back. I have been receiving injections for pain in the last 3 weeks. They have helped a little but not a whole lot.

Sometimes I think there is no reason to try to continue because of my physical ailments.  But I guess my instincts to fight kick in and I keep trying. I guess that’s just human, the desire to persevere. In my case, I feel like I’m trying beat insurmountable odds. Maybe I am.

Posted in Diet

Discouraged

Posted on by Tony

When I woke up today my right arm was almost completely asleep, and it hurt. No, I didn’t sleep on it. I sleep on my back. My neck and back are in such a condition that if I remain in one position for too long nerves are pinched and maybe even blood circulation diminished.

For the past several weeks I have been receiving injections in my lower back to help with pain. I don’t think I am going to continue. They have not helped. In some ways, it seems to have made things worse. I think stretching, exercise (whatever I can do) are the best courses to take.

I have posted any new pictures of my progress for a while. That is because I am not progressing, but regressing. My diet is suffering. I don’t know why I am having so much trouble staying on. Last year when I began it seemed so easy. Now I can’t seem to last more than a couple of weeks.

I still have a mind to keep fighting but is seems so hard now. I am somewhat discouraged by my pain. Sometimes I can’t rid my mind of thoughts that I may be in a wheelchair at some point before I’m old enough to be thinking about it. Quite frankly, it scares me. I don’t know how to go forward.

I would appreciate any ideas, prayers, or whatever.

Posted in Diet

Strategy

Posted on by Tony

Version 2When my son comes home from school for a visit, staying on my diet becomes a challenge. He is not on any special diet. He is in his 20’s so, he eats whatever he wants. All it takes for him (as a young man) is a trip to the gym or a few miles on the road, jogging.

Those measures are not an option for me anymore. He buys stuff for himself to eat while he is here, stuff I refuse to buy. I always nag him to take “his food” with him when he leaves because I don’t want it in the house.

He complains that I don’t have any willpower. He does not get any argument from me. I already know I have no willpower. However, I do have enough will power not to bring things home from the market that are not good for me or my diet. That’s my strategy.

If it’s not in the house or the refrigerator I am in no danger of eating the wrong things. That doesn’t matter though when my addiction overcomes my desire to eat right. Then it’s just a matter of getting in the car and taking a trip to the store. And yes, that does happen.

I have no will power. My son is right. I have achieved some measure of success by only bringing into the house what I actually plan to eat for meals. I can’t even keep products like flour in the house. I know how to make bread or cakes or other things I’m not supposed to eating. It’s all about strategy.