Saturday I woke up and I felt . . .smaller. I know it sounds weird, but I just decided to jump on my Zero scale and see where I was at – I normally WI on Sunday’s but figured a day wouldn’t make that much of a difference.
I started out at 175.4 – I am only 7.9 pounds away from the 150s! And if I keep this up, I could be there in a month! -7.8 in 19 days!
And, um, not sure if you’ve noticed but I’ve eaten some amazing food these last three weeks!
When I updated my DietBet WI online, I didn’t realize it was going to post to Facebook, but someone asked “How?!” Well, here’s what I am doing different this time around:
- Since April 1, I’ve been eating a minimum of 30 grams of protein per meal. I cannot tell you how this has been a game changer for me. Because of all the protein I literally don’t even think of food in between meals. I can walk by donuts at work no problem. In fact one day last week I ate a late lunch at like 2 p.m. At 5 I had to force myself to eat half a banana and peanut butter to fuel my after work workout, I was still so full from lunch!
- I drink a lot of water. Probably a gallon a day. I use my infuser cup with fresh herbs and fruit, I fill up my cup as soon as I get home from work and continue to drink water right up until bedtime. Sadly, this means I get up to pee in the middle of the night which I’ve never had to do before, but I have mad sleeping skillz and can fall right back to sleep.
- I work out a lot. Most days it’s 90 minutes, but when it’s spread throughout the day, it doesn’t feel like it. 20 minute walk before work, 40 minute treadmill or walking outside at lunch, then my 30 minutes of strength and then another 30 minutes of cardio. I still get home around 6:30. And usually by 9:00 p.m. I shut off my computer/tablet/cell phone and watch 90 minutes of my DVR shows.
- I don’t drink as much wine. I know, shocker! I don’t have any during the work week, and I limit myself to a few glasses on Friday and Saturday night, and that’s it.
- I don’t treat the weekend any differently than I do the work week. I can’t tell you how many Friday nights I’d come home and say “it’s the weekend!” and eat way too much pizza, and continue to eat like crap until Sunday night when I tell myself “I am back on!” Back on what? This is a lifestyle change that doesn’t have an on and off switch. Every day I have to make the right decisions, and that includes the weekends.
So I have technically met my DietBet challenge ahead of schedule, so while I would like to lose another pound this week, all I really have to do is maintain my weight to win. The pot is nearly $17,000, so it will be interesting to see how many of the participants actually made their 4% weight loss goal. If only half did, then those people split the pot.
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My store had bone-in chicken breasts on sale for $1.79 a pound. I love bone-in chicken breasts! So much flavor. Saturday night was 60 degrees and the perfect time to light up the Weber. I am still in need of a gas grill since I do like to grill during the work week, but I haven’t narrowed it down to which one I want just yet.
Blog reader Carol (I hope I remembered that right?!) sent me this book a couple years ago:
This recipe just jumped out at me, and I am lucky that my store has a whole wall of dried chilies all for around $1.49 a package. The only thing I changed from the recipe below is that I couldn’t find fresh ancho chiles, so I substituted poblano peppers. Oh, and I didn’t have any cloves, and I don’t really care for them anyway.
I put a few cups of water in my 4 cup measuring cup and nuked it for 5 minutes to boil the water. I chopped the tops off of the chiles, and when the water was boiling, but the dried chiles in the hot water, submerged with a plate so they stayed under the water for 20 minutes. After that, you just throw everything into a blender of food processor and you are all set! I was nervous about it being too spicy, so I did get rid of a lot of the seeds of the dried chiles, so while this wasn’t too spicy, it was super flavorful and smoky tasting. I ended up using it as a bbq sauce to our grilled chicken. Um, I kind of puffy heart cracked black pepper. Tony was never a fan of pepper, so I was able to really season the chicken.
Holy balls this was delicious. The chicken was cooked perfectly, so juicy. Although I did use too many coals as I normally do in the beginning of each grilling season. When I took the chicken off and saw how many coals were in there, I could hear Tony’s voice saying “too many coals!” Fuck I miss him. That was our thing to sit outside and grill and it’s just not the same without him.
Alright, I am hoping the rain will stop so I can get in some steps before work. Looking forward to my pork chop for breakfast – sounds weird, but I think it will be good! Make it a great day!
I always use too many coals, too. I just used it as an excuse to grill anything and everything. Living in an apartment going on a year now, I am so sick and tired of cooking on a stove-top but we can’t have grills. My parents are 40 minutes away, so I could probably hop over there on a weekend and grill some shit for the week, no? That sauce and chicken is making me hungry!
The things you have changed for the Dietbet are easy to do for everybody, including me. Although 90 minutes a day is a bit too much for me, I aim for 60 minutes a day what still is more than most people do.
You are doing great, keep it up, even after the challenge is over.
Thanks Fran – I appreciate your continued support! Hugs!
You are doing great on the DietBet!! Now wished I had signed up. 🙁
The chicken looks so good! We haven’t broke out the grill just yet. Mother Nature seems to like rain down south right now!
Thanks Sherry – I haven’t decided if I am going to join a longer term DietBet, but if I do, I’ll let you know.
At least you don’t get snow! 😀
Great weight loss!! You’ll never find a fresh ancho, because an ancho is a dried poblano. LOL. You did use the right pepper.
Hahahaha! That is too funny Randi – I had no idea. Lucky guess!!
I gained three pounds this weekend, ugh…. Not sure if it was the great food or the beer; hmm…I’ll drink wine instead, ha!
Wine is always a good choice, although I am a beer snob and loves me some good beer. My sister? Only drinks Miller Lite – gah!
I think that the protein and cutting out wine are huge – I’m not ready to cut out wine:) I’m sure that grilling is different now since Tony always sat outside with you while the food cooked:(
Hope you are having a great Monday!
Well, I’ve cut down, not out all together – life is too short to not have wine! 😀 OMG, could you imagine us together at a happy hour?! 😀
Yep, grilling without Tony is just going to have to be my new normal. 🙁
Pork chop for breakfast doesn’t sound funny. Down here in the south, you can buy pork chop biscuits for breakfast. That chicken looks amazing. Glad to see you using the book! 🙂
OMG, never thought of a pork chop biscuit!! Gonna have to try that one. And yes, I’ve already flagged several more recipes to try – I tried making a hot sauce from that book when Tony was alive, but the smell made him sick to his stomach. 🙁
I will enjoy it now though!
You are on a roll Vat!!! And wow…the chicken looks great. (love the expression “holy balls” – for the record, I think of you all the time when I see balls of any sort. Well, not ANY sort….) Your toenail polish colour is hot! Have a good Monday mi amiga!!
Ha, you know I have to have “balls” in my catch phrases! Hope you had a nice time with your Momma this past weekend.
You are so motivated – love it! Nice going with the diet bet; will you immediately join another one to keep yourself on track, or will you continue on your own?
Thanks Shelley – yep, my “switch” has been turned on, but in a different way than before – not sure how to explain it, but I feel these last few weeks are perfectly sustainable – working out and eating good food – just making each day count. I mean, I still have wine and I’ve been out to eat too, so basically it’s all about balance.
Still on the fence about joining another one – I’ve seen there are some that are more long term, so I may check those out. 😀
Great job!!
I’m jealous of your workout schedule. Weekends are occasionally my downfall. This weekend was pizza and beer and burgers and fries (though I at least lost 1/2 my burger to my 9 year old).
Protein is key!
Well, it is a lot easier for me Marcia because it’s just me – I don’t have little kids and a husband like you do – I still don’t know how you get so much done with your schedule!
Could you remind me what your grilling method is in regards to the cast iron pan? I guess you let the cast iron pre-heat while the coals are burning down, then it looks like you set a rack over the pan and set your meat on that.
The Lodge cast iron company is active on social media, especially Pintrest; they would probably “like” your photos which include cast iron.
When I cook chicken like that, on a rack on top of a cast iron grill, the pan gets hot from the coals and kind of cooks the chicken from above and below – I don’t put the pan over the coals, just off-set so its more like indirect heat. The pan helps capture any drippings so they don’t splash on the coals and ruin the coals. I think these cooked for about 45 minutes or so – I keep turning the pan around every ten minutes or so so they cook evenly. Great idea on suggesting Lodge! I actually don’t know what brand my cast iron skillets are because I bought them all from garage sales and resurrected their rusty asses. 😀
Our gas grill finally died this winter and we need to get another one stat. Funny how as the weather gets warmer I stop wanting to roast and stew and just want to grill.
The sauce looks amazing – I need to give it a try!
You and I are just alike – I can flip the switch to comfort slow cooked food to the grill as soon as it gets over 50 degrees!
Way to go on the diet bet challenge! I think I need to try to get more protein in as well. Can’t wait to hear how much you win!!
Thanks Melissa – I think it takes a few days after it ends to verify all the weigh-ins – I’ll let you know!
You ROCK! Will I see you Sunday afternoon?
Yep, I’ll be there – see you Sunday! 😀
Way to go, Biz! And thanks for sharing your success and tips!
Thanks Carrie!
Great job on the DietBet, nice work.
Thanks Jacky! I was just showing Hannah the other day your pictures of the Hole in the Wall – she was jealous!
Glad to hear you crushed your goal for Dietbet. I have signed up for another one that starts tomorrow called the Fitbit Challange. Hoping this will get me back on track.
Your sauce sounds amazing. Will have to get out the cookbook and try some different things this summer to liven up chicken. 🙂
Have a great week.
Thanks Paula – this was just the jump start I needed – I am on the fence if I want to just keep on what I am doing or join another one?!
Awesome job on the DietBet, Biz! And, yes, breaking up exercise throughout the day makes it so much more doable.
I haven’t been able to eat much in the last few weeks but that chicken breast makes me actually hungry!
Have a great week!
Thanks Andrea – sending good thoughts about your Papa – I know you wish you were closer, but I am sending big hugs your way!