Day 6: The Scoreboard

Here we are folks, Sunday, the day I'll be posting my weekly results (I know, its something I'm sure you'll all put on your calendars). Obviously weight loss isn't everything here, being in shape and getting my ass to the point where NY Life isn't calling me on a weekly basis just to find out if they need to cut a check is the real goal. But, since I started this quest at an ungodly weight, weight loss is a good way to keep score. So, after getting on the scale this morning, naked, the numbers showed my total weight lost since Tuesday morning.......

8 pounds!

Clearly, losing eight pounds per week isn't healthy or sustainable (wish it was). I'm pretty sure the factors contributing to this big first week number is that I weighed in the first day after hitting it hard with the food and booze for well over a week, my total weight at the time was shocking (for me), and this past week I've been rock solid with my nutrition and exercise. Back when I was seeing a nutritionist, I had a couple of seven and eight pound weeks at the beginning too. Point being, nobody worry, I'm not going full Karen Carpenter or anything, I'm doing it right.

Now, onto more important things. My challenge to become Thunderlips The Ultimate Male is taking a unique turn this week. I'll be going away on a business trip to Japan. The hurdles with this trip are that I'll be going to a place I've never been (so I don't know where or how I can work out), it'll be a short trip where I doubt I'll have time to work out much, and I get the feeling I'm expected to eat lots of good food and drink massive amounts of sake and beer (something I'm not at all opposed to doing). Since I'll be going into uncharted territory, I'm going to do something that I was taught by Sarah, my nutritionist: Plan Ahead.

You obviously can't plan for everything but you can plan for things like the 11 hour flights I'll be on and time in the hotel room. If you plan ahead for this stuff, you can cut out the extra stuff (booze and lots of salty snacks) that are available on the airplane. More importantly, if you're not starving when you land, you're much less likely to down the Japanese equivalent of an Ultimate Cheeseburger right when you get off the plane. This is critical.

The organic beef jerky and raw almond combo posted above is my air travel special. An entire bag of the beef jerky and one small bag of almonds is only 410 calories and has 40 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Obviously you need to eat better meals than beef jerky and almonds, but this is better than fat and sodium laden airline snacks. Normally I'd throw in some protein powder too but I don't think I want to bring a white powdery substance into a foreign country. Last thing I want is for my welcome to Japan to be some guy sticking his whole fist up my ass to see if I'm smuggling anything. I hope to go for a run this am but I'm not sure I'll do it or not.

Journal from yesterday:
Exercise - Leg weight training at the gym and swimming with the kids

Food -
Breakfast: Flaxcakes, half a peach, two slices of Canadian bacon
Lunch: Turkey burger patty, green salad, half a slice of Swiss cheese, two slices of this fairly bad tasting low glycemic bread that is supposed to be very good for you.
Afternoon snack: a few cherries
Dinner: Grilled tri tip and green beans
Other stuff: Probably had a bottle of wine throughout the day and nine goldfish crackers. Don't judge me you freaks, it was friggin Saturday for crap's sake and besides, who lost eight pounds?

BONUS: Due to my awesome eating, I've reached the point this week where I'm not feeling hungry between meals and after dinner. This is a critical point to reach because when you don't have the constant desire to chow down on shitty food, its much easier to stay on track! POW!