Do diets always consist of boring and bland food?  NO! There is no way I could stick with a diet if I couldn’t still eat foods that taste good and eat a variety of foods.  Especially in the beginning, I have stuck to 45% protein, 35% carbs, and 20% fats in each meal.  My daily total of calories started at 2300 and has slowly dropped to around 1800-1900 calories per day. I do eat a lot of boring and bland foods, because they are quick and easy to make, but I usually have one “good” meal each day which takes a little more time and preparation.  Below, is a photo gallery of some...

I’m happy that I broke the 200lb. mark (220 down to 199.5) I’m perfectly on schedule 2/3 weeks done (8 of 12 weeks) & 2/3 weight lost (20 of 30lbs) I’m unhappy that I have not lost more. I wanted to be well under 200lbs at this point. Every pound is getting harder and harder. I’m frustrated that 2 days after weighing in, my weight can be up 3 or 4 pounds. I’m mad that I have to work the majority of the week to get back to where I was, and then bust ass to lose a little more. No more cheat days! No more days off from cardio! I’m going to sample some of Syntrax’s...

After not losing any weight last week, I was really praying to at least see a few pounds gone this week.  I lost 3 pounds: 208 to 205. This was a good week, so I don’t have much to say.  I stuck to the diet, no big cheat meals, and got some cardio in. My Nectar protein packets have really become a staple on my diet.  One is always my last meal of the day around 10PM.  I shouldn’t have any carbs this late at night, so getting 23g of protein, 0g carbs, 0g fats, and 0g sugar is perfect! My goal for the next two weeks is to lose 5 pounds, so I will be at 200 starting the second half...

Syntrax makes a protein product called Nectar that is GLUTEN FREE! After taping many small videos during the last few weeks while trying each of the Nectar flavors, I found that I repeated one word an embarrassing amount of times: SHOCKING.  I guess that is the best way to describe my experience with these Nectar packets by Syntrax. I’ve tried many different brands of protein shakes and drinks over the years.  In college, my friends and I would try a few brands, then put in a large order to one of them.  Just so we could stand the taste of drinking it every day, we would have to settle...

Everything finally came together in week 3 of my diet.  I was eating right and exercising.  I was looking forward to my Friday weigh-in. On Friday, I got on the scale…. 208.  NO CHANGE!!! How could this be?  I had my best week yet perfecting my diet and did the most exercise.  Was I eating too many calories?  Was I eating too little with the amount of workouts I was doing?  Was my last weigh in with very little water in my body and this week with a lot?  What’s the deal? Overall, I am not too frustrated by it… but really hoping for a better weigh-in next week. 2 tips:...

Week 2 turned out better than I expected. After losing 7lbs. the first week, I expected to only lose a couple pounds this week. Instead, I was shocked when I saw the scale at 208- a 5lb. loss. The week started out with having a bunch of friends in town and going out to eat a few times. This week was better than the last in terms of routine, since I was more accustomed to the diet and getting an exercise routine established. I still didn’t make it out to run as often as I should have, but I am making progress. I still stuck to my basic foods of chicken, tuna, eggs, rice, and vegetables. During...

As you know, I started a gluten free weight loss diet on January 1st, 2010.  My plan for the first three weeks is to eat 2300 calories per day- 259g protein, 201 carbs, and 51g fat.  I am spreading this out over six meals per day.  3 or 4 real food meals and 2 or 3 protein shakes.  I am also taking a multivitamin and fish oil pills because my meals are really lean.  It is still important to get your good fats. I lost 7lbs. during the first week, 220 to 213.  I attribute part of the 7lbs. to eating a few “final meals” just before Jan. 1st, and maybe a little water weight.  As...

Preparation! I can’t stress this enough.  It was my biggest mistake so far. These are all things you MUST do before your diet starts. Have your mind right.  FOCUSED Set goals. Surround yourself with motivators. Plan your diet with an expert. Buy your foods. Know the nutritional values of each. Set up a tracking plan in Excel or with an online service. Get your sleep pattern established if you are getting up earlier. Precook & package your foods. Buy your supplements. I failed on the majority of these items and it set me back a day or two.  It takes a couple days to figure out a...