Week...Whatever It Is

I have reached a point of apathy in the diet plan.  Spring Break was tough, last week wasn't good, and so far, this week, hasn't been on track.  My birthday is this Friday and I don't think I'm going to reach my ''under 300 pounds'' goal.  BUT, there is hope, I'm going to have good and bad times, and after this week is over, I'll just have to get back to it next week...for real this time.

But, since I still want to keep the blog as something interesting and helpful for YOU, I have decided to post the Top Five Weight Loss Myths.

They are as follows:

1. Carbs Are the Enemy
2. Never Eat After 8PM
3. It's Not a Workout Unless You Sweat
4. Weight Lifting Bulks You Up
5. Muscle Weight More than Fat

Don't let yourself fall prey to these myths!!!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Taking a Break...

I decided today that I would take a break from the scales this week.  I just don't have the drive to go near one this week and see how bad I have done over the past few weeks.

Also, I'm trying to eat right, but it's sooooo hard right now, and I'm not doing so well.  BUT, I have high hopes that I can do well after this week is over.

I'll update you all later on.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

OMG I Do NOT Want to Go Anywhere NEAR a Scale

Well...we have been sucking it up on the diet home front over the past couple of weeks.  Spring Break was tough...then this past week I did not have the motivation to go to the gym, and then from Thursday until today I was in Little Rock, AR, for an academic conference, and I did not do a good job of maintaining the diet.

But, it happens.  It has happened to me before, and I'm sure it will happen again.  Tomorrow I will just be back to square one, with a weigh in and starting back at the gym.  Wish me luck!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

C-RAZY Portion Sizes...

So, I've written about portion sizes before and how we, especially in the U.S., tend to go a little bit overboard when it comes to how much we eat and drink.  And, it's not only how much we eat or drink, but how much we are served and the sizes of items that we buy.

Well, this morning I was browsing the internet and found the following clip that shows Starbuck's has gotten out of control.  It is at the very beginning of the clip and lasts about 2 minutes long...it's a fun clip from the Ellen Degeneres show about Starbuck's new drink size.

It's pretty funny...but, scary in its own right.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

I'm BACK!!!

Spring Break has, sadly, come and gone, and it's back to the grind...for a few days.  I will leave on Thursday morning for Little Rock, Arkansas, for the 2010 Alpha Chi Super Regional Convention.  I'm excited because I love AX and spending time with some fun folks from my University and other schools across the country.  I'm also a bit nervous because, as we all know, I don't tend to do the best when I travel and I have to be careful to maintain the diet and exercise regimen I don't always do the best job of keeping up.  On that note, let me share the results from spring break with you all.  Let me start by saying that it was a real struggle to exercise while on break (meaning I didn't...at all, although I did a lot of walking around St. Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston) and I had a tough time eating ''right.''  Meaning, I ate a lot of pizza, fried foods, and even drank some soda.  I am definitely feeling it now as my body is ''detoxing'' from all the crap I put into it last week (oh, but it was sooooooooo good while it lasted...I kinda miss it now...okay, okay, snapping out of it).

My weight, as of March 22 is:

309 pounds

A gain of 5 pounds from last week!

I know, it's sad.  That 5 pounds I lost before I left...I gained back.  Well, it is okay, I'm not going to worry about it, I just have to get back to doing what I was doing, and the weight will continue to come off.

I am struggling a bit with exercise this week because I am having some issues with my right ankle and my knees.  I have had problems with my left knee since high school, and they have started to come up again recently.  I also took a nasty tumble (I am the world's most graceful person, for those of you who did not know) while on break and have hurt my right ankle and knee.  I'm just going to take it easy on those for a little while (mind you, I will continue to exercise, just not as hard as I had been), until they feel better.

I will update you all later in the week on how the ''back to the real world'' campaign is going.  Let's hope for some weight loss this week, and next, so I can reach my goal of being below 300 pounds by my 22nd birthday!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Spring Break-ing...

Spring Break is upon us!


I am in Florida until early Wednesday morning, then I'll be heading to Savannah, then onto Charleston for the end of the week.


Break has gone well so far.  It's been tough at times, but overall I am happy with my diet status.  We haven't gone out to eat that much, so that makes it easier because I have better control over what I eat and how much I eat.  Thanks to my friend Sarajane's suggestion (check her photography out on Facebook [search for Sayjay Photography and Design]) the drive down wasn't too bad either...we packed a cooler with some grapes, bottled water, homemade hummus, and brought along some crackers and Fiber One bars.  We didn't stop and buy bad-for-you gas station food!  The hardest part will come Wednesday - Saturday because we will be traveling more and doing other stuff...wish me luck!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

This Week's Weigh In...form Florida

I write to you all from The Sunshine State (although it's dark out right now and raining).  I wanted to update you quickly since I did a weigh in this afternoon.


I am very excited to share with you all that

My weight, as of March 12 is:

 304 pounds

A loss of 5 pounds from last week!

Wow, wow, wow!!!!  I am very excited about how well the diet has been going and very excited to report that I have lost 15 pounds thus far!

I will update you all again when I can!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Quick Morning Update...

Before I get the day started I wanted to share a link I just found for some Low Fat Breakfast Recipes.  I hope you find them helpful!


I have a test in just a little bit, then lunch with friends, then we're on the road for Spring Break!  I was up late last night...AND my alarm did not go off this morning, so no gym trip for me.  BUT, I will go and do my weigh in for all of you lovely readers before I leave for Florida and beyond.


I'm not sure how much access I'll have to the Internet this coming week, but I will update you all when I can.


Have a great weekend and a great spring break (if you have that this week)!!!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Chicken's Supposed to be Good for You...Right?

I LOVE chicken, it is my favorite meat and is what I usually eat.  My diet consists of a lot of fruits, veggies, and chicken (with some turkey and pork thrown in there from time-to-time).  I just appreciate the freedom one has with chicken, how it can be manipulated and can take on so many flavors.  I also think of it as one of the more healthy options short of vegetarianism.  Well, with that said, let me share something with you courtesy of Men's Health and ''Eat This, Not That.''  It is the list of the Unhealthiest Chicken Dishes in America:

• NUMBER 8 -- Worst Chicken Sandwich
• Chili's Buffalo Chicken Ranch
• 1,560 calories
• 86 g of fat  (*Note*...WHAT THE HECK!?!?!?!)
• NUMBER 7 -- Worst Chicken Salad
• California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad w/ Blue Cheese Dressing
• 1,570 calories
• 30 g of saturated fat
• NUMBER 6 -- Worst Chicken Rice Dish
• Applebee's Crispy Orange Rice Bowl
• 1,880 calories
• 13 g of saturated fat
• NUMBER 5 -- Worst Chicken Nachos
• Baja Fresh Charbroiled Chicken Nachos (*Note*...Don't let ''charbroiled'' fool you)
• 2,020 calories
• 110 g of fat (*Note*...I don't even understand how something has that much fat)
• PS:  The article says that you could eat an entire package of Chewy Chips Ahoy! cookies, plus, a twin pack of Twinkies and still come out ahead on the amount of fat in this one meal.
• NUMBER 4 -- Worst Chicken Appetizer
• Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla
• 2,141 calories
• 133 g of fat (*Note*...Again, how in the world does something contain that much fat???)
• PS:  Outback Steakhouse is one of the worst restaurants out there for not striving to offer healthy options, cook their food in healthier ways, and publishing their nutrition information.  In fact, they only put out their nutrition facts in New York and California because it is required by law there...the rest of us are out of luck.

Let's take a moment of silence at this point to remember our love of The Cheesecake Factory, as we realize that after these last three categories we will never want to eat there again.

• NUMBER 3 -- Worst "American" Chicken Entree
• The Cheesecake Factory Chicken and Biscuits
• 2,511 calories
• 66 g of saturated fat
• NUMBER 2 -- Worst Chicken Cutlet
• The Cheesecake Factory Crispy Chicken Costoletta
• 2,556 calories
• 85 g of saturated fat (*Note*...This exceeds the daily intake limit of saturated fat for a family of four)
• NUMBER 1 -- Worst Chicken Entree in America
• The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken & Roasted Garlic
• 2,579 calories
• 62 g of saturated fat

And there you have it...the unhealthiest chicken dishes in the country.  By the way, that last one from The Cheesecake Factory is just one of six chicken and pasta entrees served at this American eatery in excess of 2,000 calories.  My word of advice on The Cheesecake Factory -- STAY AWAY!  Another word of advice is to not be fooled that because it's chicken, it's healthy.  Number 2, The Cheesecake Factory Crispy Chicken Costoletta, has a description on the menu that makes it appear to be a thin and lightly breaded piece of chicken served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  What they don't tell you is how much butter, oils, and fats are used to make the meal.


It's a dangerous world out there...don't let chicken get the best of you.


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Counting Down the Days...

Spring Break arrives this Friday, and I am sure that I am just as excited as most of the students at my University for a break!  I am planning on traveling to Jacksonville, Florida for the first 4 days, then to Savannah, Georgia for St. Patrick's Day, and then on to Charleston, South Carolina for the last weekend of break.  I am excited because I really wanted to go to the beach, I have been wanting to go to Savannah for a while now, and I really really love Charleston.  It's going to be a fun and relaxed Spring Break!

I am also nervous about break because I know how I get on the weekends (eating whatever I want) and I don't want break to be like a really really long weekend.  I won't have access to a gym or a scale or anything next week, so I'm actually going to do next week's weigh-in on Friday, and then do another weigh-in when I return on March 22.  Also, since I won't have a gym to go to everyday, I plan on getting up in the mornings and going for an hour long walk/jog to keep some kind of exercise in my routine.  It's not going to be easy to get out of bed early during Spring Break to go exercise, but I know I need to do it.  I am also really concerned about food...this trip is going to be such an amazing opportunity to see new places and experience new things and one thing I absolutely love to experience when traveling is FOOD!  But, alas, I will try to contain myself, following some principles I established early on, and haven't always stuck to, such as not clearing my plate, only drinking water or unsweetened tea, and striving for healthier options that are grilled or broiled instead of fried.  I will appreciate all of your good thoughts during next week, I'm sure I'll need them!  Let's hope that I return from Spring Break having lost even more weight!!!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler     

It's Weigh In Day!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls...


I am happy to report that

My weight, as of March 8 is:

 309 pounds

A loss of 4 pounds from last week!

We did pretty good last week, didn't we?

Today I went to the gym and worked out for a loooooooong time.  In the past I have typically average 2.5 to 3 miles on the elliptical.  I get really burnt out around mile 2 and that is the time that I usually hit the ''Cool Down'' button and finish the last 1/2 mile at an easy pace.  Today the 2 mile mark came and I wasn't tired, then the 3 mile mark, then the 4 mile mark.  Before I knew it I had finished 5 miles!  It was crazy and I felt soooo good afterward, it was a great accomplishment for me.  Today was also the day of my first 10 pounds, so that's another great step in the right direction.

My next big goal is to get below 300 pounds by my birthday (April 2nd).  That's just a little over 3 weeks away; so, give me the encouragement I need to get there.  As I said earlier, I am sticking to my goal of losing 35 pounds by graduation (May 17th).  That is 10 weeks away, I'm not sure if I'll make it, but I am going to try...I am already headed that way!!!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Quick Saturday Morning Hello...

Hi Everyone,


Well, we have made it to another weekend, this is where I usually don't do so hot.  Today I am headed to Durham, NC to see the musical Spring Awakening with some friends.  I'm going to try my best to not eat too much, to drink only water, and to steer clear of gas station snacks.  The weekends are tough because I usually go out to eat more and I'm traveling, so that makes it even harder...McDonald's is the easiest solution, but I'll control myself!


Have a great weekend everyone.  I'll try to update tomorrow, if not it will be Monday with the newest weigh in results!!!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Asparagus

Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Asparagus


It's recipe time!!!



Let's get started with a picture of what you're going to be making:

Looks pretty good, huh?

Here we go...

Marinated and Grilled Pork Chops

Note:  You'll need some time for these to marinade before cooking them!  If you want them for dinner tonight...it's too late, get your marinade put together and put your pork chops in the marinade the morning you plan to have this meal.

What You'll Need:

• 2 - 3 oz. boneless pork chops
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

What To Do:

1)  Make a marinade of the soy sauce, water, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and black pepper.  Mix all ingredient together in a large sealable plastic bag.

2)  Rinse pork chops and place in plastic bag.  Let marinade for at least 6 hours.

3)  When ready, remove from the bag and place on a grill, George Forman grill, or grill pan.  Cook for ten minutes on each side.  Finish in the oven for another 20 minutes, checking for doneness.

Nutrition Facts (per serving) -- Calories: 175  Fat: 7 g  Protein: 22 g

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Note:  This was my absolute favorite part of the meal.  Again, give yourself some time for this one, it's not a super quick recipe.

What You'll Need:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (rinsed, peeled, and diced)
• 4 tablespoons 2% milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I use Smart Balance)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Dash of cinnamon

What To Do:

1)  Put the diced potatoes, 2 tablespoons of milk, the sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons of butter in a covered pot on the stove.

2)  Cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Do not turn heat above medium-low or the potatoes will scorch.

3)  The potatoes will be ready when they can be easily pierced with a fork.

4)  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, add the honey, the rest of the milk and butter, and the cinnamon.

Nutrition Facts (per serving) -- Calories: 250  Fat: 10 g  Protein: 4 g  (note...this is if you use butter substitute, the calories and fat will be more if you use regular butter).

Sautéed Asparagus with Parmesan

What You'll Need:

• 8 spears of asparagus, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

What To Do:

1)  Heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat.

2)  Season the asparagus with salt and pepper.

3)  Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

4)  Add parmesan and toss.

Nutrition Facts (per serving) -- Calories: 175  Fat: 10 g  Protein: 6 g

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There you have it!  I hope you enjoy it!  If you need any help or have questions, just let me know.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Good Thursday Morning to You...

Hi Everyone!

So, this week has been okay thus far as we start back with the diet.  I didn't make it to the gym yesterday, I had class and a make up test, and a meeting I was leading last night, so I didn't have time.  I also didn't make it this morning, but I have walking class in about 30 minutes, so I'll get it in there.  Other than that, eating well has been fine, not too tough.  I just feel so much better when I'm eating the right things and exercising, I love it!

Last night I made a really yummy dinner last night of grilled pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed asparagus.  I will post the recipes, nutrition facts, and pictures later for you to enjoy and make for yourself!  It's a delicious and filling meal, with a lot of ''good for you'' items, all under 600 calories!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Weight Loss Winners...

As Wednesday starts out I wanted to share a fun article with you that I found on MSN this morning about Weight Loss Winners.  The article shows the stories of 5 men and a little bit about how they lost weight.  It's pretty inspiring.


Have a great day everyone!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Tis Tuesday...

So, I wrote yesterday letting you all know that I would be starting back on the diet plan and I can report today that it is going very well.  I did my weight in, went to the gym, and did some grocery shopping.  We got a ton of fresh fruits and veggies, it is good to see the house stocked with peppers, onions, peaches, bananas, grapes, asparagus, berries, spinach, and avocado.  On the protein front we purchased chicken, pork chops, fish, shrimp, and tofu.  And then there are eggs, organic milk, cheese, yogurt, a ton of Lean Cuisines, and various other snacks and such.  I looooooove food, so I had to be sure that the house is stocked with yummy, yet nutritious, items.

The gym is going well too, I just love how I feel after I work out.  So refreshed and good about myself.  It's great!

Well, today instead of just rambling about myself I figured I would share an interesting article that I found on Yahoo!  The article addresses childhood obesity and the amount of snacking that American kids do.  It says that "U.S. children eat an average three snacks a day on top of three regular meals, a finding that could explain why the childhood obesity rate has risen to more than 16 percent, researchers said on Tuesday."  Wow!  That's a lot of chips, cookies, juice boxes, and fruit.  I feel like snacking is good for me at times because it helps me not overeat when it does come meal time, but I guess it's important to keep them to a minimum  and not eat too much when snacking.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Good afternoon everyone!

So, I went to the gym this afternoon and weighed myself, and was surprise to find the following...

My weight, as of March 1 is:

313 pounds

A loss of 1 pound from last week!

So, despite the crappy eating and lack of exercise from last week, I still lost weight!  That is exciting, haha.  But, I am back on track from here, trying to reach my goal of losing 35 pounds by graduation.  I have 10 weeks until then, so we will see how much I can lose in that amount of time.  I have lost 6 pounds since I began on January 11, averaging out to 1 pound a week since then.  I would be content with being below the 300 pound mark by graduation, but I will still strive to lose 29 more pounds by then, that's an average of 3 pounds a week, which is doable.

I did notice something over the past few weeks, when I was eating poorly and not exercising, and that is that I felt horrible.  My headaches came back, my back and legs started to hurt again, my stomach was yucky...all the issues that were reconciled with proper eating and regular exercise came back as soon as I started drinking soda, quit exercising, and gave up.  If for nothing else, I have to do this because I feel better...soooooo much better!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

And We're Back...

Good morning my friends!!!


I am excited to welcome you all back to Tyler Loses It!  I am so very sorry for being absent last week and for not dieting the last couple of weeks.  Today is the first of March and it is the perfect time to get back to what I have been working on since January.  For some reason the last three weeks have been really difficult.  I got hit by frustration with what I was eating, being overwhelmed with the gym, and much more.  But, I have overcome it, have received encouragement from family and friends, and am ready to get back to the diet!


I will weigh in this afternoon when I go to the gym, so I will let you all know how that goes.  Also, I'll be going grocery shopping this afternoon and getting my life back together in that area.  I'll update you all later in the day!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler