Day 31: One Midnight Gone

Here we are, one-third of the way through this program. I can't believe how this month has flown by! I really don't have much to say at this point. I just wanted to recognize the passing of time.

Day 30: Don't Leave Everything To Be Crowded Into The Very Last Minute

Sunday was a slower day. Although people got up at about the same time as the day prior, the pace was pretty relaxed. Breakfast was going to be a light affair before heading off to a restaurant late-morning for a more filling Sunday brunch, followed by the family's departure for home. (I live closer to the cabin than they do, so I could spend a bit more time there.) Light breakfast for them was coffee, danishes, doughnuts, and sugared cereal.

I found out that after I went to bed last night, my nieces wanted dessert. They had pretty healthy appetites at the restaurant last night, but it didn't surprise me that they were suffering a case of the munchies. That was pretty much what I was seeing all weekend.

The next morning they gave me my indulgence—a slice of banana cream pie they saved from last night's snack attack. I managed to take only a sliver of the piece and let one of my nieces finish it off.

Although I never minded banana cream pie before, I just found it to be not thrilling. I think part of my reaction was because I was hoping for something else. Another part was a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to partake in the experience with the rest of the family. A third reason I was bothered because it didn't taste as fabulous as I thought it should have after not having sweets for a whole month. It wasn't rich. It wasn't flavorful. It was blah.

Around 11am we headed off to a restaurant that I knew my family would like. It was a place where you can enjoy an "All You Can Eat Breakfast" for a relatively low price. And they took full advantage of it.

I looked at my plate compared to theirs. Before PCP, I probably would have eaten as much as them. During PCP, I sat there with small portion of scrambled eggs, a bowl of fruit, a triangle of cinnamon raisin french toast (no syrup), a triangle of apple french toast (no syrup), a glass of milk, and a few home-fry potatoes. Granted, it wasn't the best PCP meal, but I didn't think it was too bad. Boy was I wrong! The food sat like a lump in my stomach.

After they were sated, we left the restaurant and said our good-byes. My family headed for their respective homes and my partner and I went back to the camp. When we got there I had to immediately head for the bathroom. The "food" didn't not agree with me at all. It went through my system faster than a bullet train!

It was just starting afternoon and I was tired, so I laid down for a quick nap. When I got up about an hour later, my partner and I went to visit one of his relatives who had a cabin just down the road from ours.

While we were there, they offered us some ice cream. Now this is the indulgence I had been waiting for! I asked that they just give a tiny bit, about half a scoop (since I had already had a sliver of banana cream pie earlier). The flavor was called "Birthday Bash."

This was sweetness overload! I am so glad that I only asked for a little. Any more would have been far too much!

It was a very enlightening weekend. Between watching my family, recognizing the patterns of behavior I use to exhibit, and eating foods which would probably amount to a number of indulgences, I have to admit that I was glad to be home with my simple PCP menu. Yeah, it may be simple but it has a heck of a lot more flavor than some of the non-PCP stuff I sampled.

And I like it that way.

Day 29: Plan Ahead! In Advance. Don't Leave A Thing To Chance

The cabin started bustling with noise very early in the morning. Luckily, I normally get up every day at 6am so it didn't disturb me too much.

As I assembled my PCP friendly meal I watched the rest of my family gobble down coffee, doughnuts, and sugared cereal. I looked over at the doughnut box and there was one left—a glazed doughnut topped with pink frosting and sprinkles. I still hadn't used my indulgence, so it would have been perfectly acceptable to eat it. I just wasn't sure if I wanted too. What if we went out for ice cream? I'd much rather have ice cream than the doughnut! Heck, there are a number of things that I'd prefer over the doughnut. In the end it stayed in it's box and I ate my breakfast.

Shortly afterwards we all piled into two cars and drove to the nearby town of Ogdensburg for some sight-seeing and shopping. Everyone's spirits were running high even though it was sprinkling on and off. During the trip we found this amazing children's playground which was designed to resemble a medieval castle. The weather let up just enough for us to play in this amazing structure.

It was a quick stop back at the cabin for lunch, which was good for me because I had forgotten to bring along my mid-morning snack. I also discovered that while we were in town my iPhone had located a signal and downloaded my email. I now had my meal plan for the current week. Unfortunately, it didn't download the exercise sheets.

Then we were off again, heading in the opposite direction toward the touristy town of Alexandria Bay. We were going to take a boat tour of the 1000 Island region. It was going to be a two and a half hour trip.

Thankfully I was prepared. I am very susceptible to motion sickness so most moving things are not my friends. Boats and planes are especially bad. But I had put on the patch my doctor had prescribed to me and was ready to test the boat. (I knew it worked when I flew. This was my first time on a boat in a looooong time.)

The upside of the patch: I was able to enjoy the trip and took lots of pictures. The downside of the patch: It makes me extremely sleepy.

By the time we returned to shore it was way past suppertime. I had brought my afternoon snack, but not my dinner. Everyone opted to eat at a restaurant instead of cooking at the cabin. This was going to be my first time at a restaurant while on PCP.

It was about 9:30pm by the time we got to the restaurant. I looked over the menu and decided on some bruschetta and a baby greens salad with fruit, oil and vinegar dressing on the side. I ate only two of the four pieces of bruschetta and all of the salad.

When we arrived back to the cabin, I was exhausted. So I yawned my goodnights and stumbled off to bed while everyone else stayed up for a bit longer.

To Be Continued....

Day 28: Plan Ahead! Plan Ahead! That's What The Wise Man Said

I think I'm developing a reputation. I am a jump-rope killer.

I took Friday off from work. My parents were going to arrive late morning, about the same time my partner was going to come home from work, and we were going to travel north to spend the weekend at the cabin. That meant I had some time to do the 1300 jumps and recover afterwards before everyone got to the house.

Jump rope, music, thirteen stones, and I was all set to go. I tried some of Patrick's ideas of different jump rope tricks. The "Running Jump" wasn't too bad, though I kept tangling my left foot quite a bit. The "Double Dutch" was different too as it relies on a whole different rhythm because the rope has to swing a bit slower. The "Cross" was fun, but the most I could do would be one or two before getting tangled again.

Then came the "Snap". Over the past few weeks I had broke the rope, but it was usually at the handle. That was easy to fix—pop the end off, string the rope through, reattached. This time the rope broke right in the middle. There was no fixing that! Total number of jumps: 978.

So I limped inside and began resting, elevating, and icing my knees. At least it gave me a little more time to prepare my meals for the weekend. Eventually everything was packed, everyone arrived, and we headed to the cabin. Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to go out and buy a new jump rope. That's okay, I thought to myself, I'll just wing it.

Be careful of what you say or think. Sometimes the 'Verse is listening in and comes up with other plans!

We got to the cabin, unpacked, settled in—and I discovered that there was absolutely no coverage for my iPhone. None. Nada. Zip. I was not going to be able to check the web or receive any emails. That meant I had no idea what my meal plan was going to be nor what exercises we were going to do because I could not get Patrick's Saturday message. Friday night's meals were okay as I had already pre-packed them in their allotted amounts, but since I had not brought any of the paraphernalia from the weeks previous, I was going to be totally on my own and winging the PCP for the rest of the weekend.

Late in the evening, my brother and his family arrived. That was when the weekend at the cabin became very interesting.

To Be Continued....

Day 27: I'm Lost In Dreams of Desserts Like Pumpkin Pies And Boston Creams

The strength exercises went well. The "Shoulder Fly" wasn't exactly my best as I struggled against the band to get my arms opened all the way back, and the "Double Katana" was an absolute fail. I couldn't get my arms to stretch that stupid band over my head. After a number of tries I just finally gave up and did "Tricep Dips" with the chair. I think I need to invest some money in the 5lb band. Maybe then I'll actually be able to do the exercise and build up the strength to graduate to my 10lb band for some of the exercises.

This weekend we're taking my family up to the cabin. I know they're all looking forward to eating out every day, but I'm prepared for it. I have all my food prepped and ready to go. I will say that Patrick gave a killer idea that has helped greatly. For the past few weeks I've been going to the farmers market and picking up a wide variety of vegetables. When I get home, I chopped them into different little shapes and steam them. Then they go into the refrigerator for the week. I also prepare a big bowl of whole wheat pasta and have a whole carton of hard-boiled eggs. It makes hectic life so much easier as all I have to do is measure out what I need, put it in containers, throw whatever spice I want on them, and out the door I go.

I decided to wait until this weekend to have my indulgence. My family loves treats and there will be a big definish chance that sometime during this weekend we'll get something that is definitely not PCP friendly. What better way to indulge: sharing time with family and eating something naughty!

Day 26: Don't You Know I'm Still Standing Better Than I Ever Did

I was held hostage this past weekend. I swear it! My knees held me at rope point and threatened to do something nasty to me and my loved ones if I didn't stop forcing them to jump! What could I do? When one is staring down the business end of a jump rope you tend to do crazy things! I had no choice but to acquiesce to their demands.

So there was no jumping on Saturday. Or Sunday. Or Monday. There was plenty of walking—or in my case, waddling. I usually can walk with a long stride at a pretty good clip often to the beat of one of my dance mixes. That wasn't exactly happening either. I was forced to take many more shorter steps than normal due to the foot and the knees not wanting to fully cooperate.

Of course, if my legs thought they were getting the easy way out, they had another thing coming. You see, all around my house is hills. There is no such thing as a flat piece of land around here. Some hills have slight grades and others are very steep slopes. Granted, I wasn't jumping, but the legs still got a pretty good work out—which even included the "1000 Steps". That's this really long stone staircase that goes at a 45 degree angle up the side of a hill.

The amazing thing that occurred as a result of this break was that when Tuesday morning rolled around, the pain in my knees had lessened quite a bit. I could actually do the floor jumps! And I even did them with my arms behind my back! (I was a little nervous about that because ever since the knees gave up, I hadn't been able to kneel on the floor let alone get up from it.)

When I got home from work Tuesday evening, I decided to put everything to the test. Using some new found stretches, I spent five minutes warming up. Then I strapped on the knee braces, grabbed the jump rope and went to the back yard. The most wonderful thing happened! I did all the jumps with nary a break between the hundreds. Although I was breathing hard and sweating profusely, I wasn't the quivering wheezing mass I had been just a week prior. (I'm not even going to try to compare myself to what my condition was during the first week with only 250 jumps!) Yes, I was constantly tripping and tangling and whacking myself in the head, but they were just momentary pauses. I just kept jumping, breaking my goal into littler numbers—just ten numbers at a time. Before I knew it, I hit 100, quickly grabbed a stone, tossed it, and immediately went back to jumping. Before I knew it, all the stones were gone.

I did my cool down stretches for about five or so minutes, then went back into the house. The knee braces came off and the ice pack went on, alternating every 15-20 minutes between each knee. About an hour later I was up and walking about. A little stiff, a little sore, but nothing like I had been experiencing.

This morning's leg torture was the "Creep". My legs had stiffened a bit overnight so I really couldn't get down as close to the floor as Patrick is in the picture. I ended up doing as best as I could and did Thriller. Knees bent as far down as I could go, hands on knees, and start walking. Let me tell you, my legs were tired at the end of the third set!

As for the jump rope this evening—it was as good as yesterday. The time just flew by the time I reached the last stone. Some RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) and dinner later, I was able to walk again with just a little pain. I think my legs are starting to strengthen. They're definitely getting that rock solid feel.

Day 25: Life Isn't All So Simple Though, Tough Choices To Make

We got the email from Patrick today. It's indulgence time. Quite truthfully, I'm not sure if I'm excited about it or scared.

My head is full of different questions. What should I choose out of the entire list of things that I love? How do I choose the special item? What if it tastes horrid because I choose the wrong item? What if I choose the right item and it starts tempting me? What would be the perfect day for this choice? Will I be able to savor it or will I just wolf it down? It didn't help that one of my co-workers put a candy bar on my desk this afternoon. I looked at that candy bar wondering if I should blow it on that little bit of chocolate or go for something tastier or fancier or some treat I don't get that often. There's just too many decisions!!

I've been so good with my meal plans that I really don't want to screw it up. It's odd, but I like my food. I've had very few moments where something has tempted me. I'm not sure if that means that I have a lot of will power or that I've become numb to the outside stimulus. I'm sure the fact that I'm a vegetarian and all my friends are extreme carnivores that usually eat quite a bit of meat has helped strengthened my resolve against temptation—plus it can't hurt that I really haven't socialized with them in almost two weeks. (When the gang gets together, sometimes it can become a junk food smorgasbord!)

So now I sit here and ponder. I don't know about anyone else, but for me this is going to be a tough decision.

Day 24: Knees Up, Knees Up, Never Let The Breeze Up, Knees Up Mother Brown

Wow. There seems to be a rash of knee strains and injuries going around. I must be a trend-setter! (Just kidding!)

Here is a great resource from the McKinley Health Center. It is a list of stretching exercises that you can do based upon the type and location of the knee pain you have.

As with any exercise regimen, you should make sure you warm-up and stretch before any activity as well as stretch and cool-down afterwards.

Day 23: Cups and Cakes, Cups and Cakes, I'm So Full My Tummy Aches

This past weekend I attended a friend's wedding. It was an afternoon/evening affair held outdoors in a beautiful location. Even though there had been a threat of rain, the weather stayed fairly nice throughout the evening. The whole event was just lovely.

Now, I'm a rules-lawyer. Anyone in the gaming community totally knows what I mean by that. When we began Week 2, Patrick sent out meal plans with whole list of items that were allowed and things that weren't. I immediately put that information into my head as rules for the program. Unless he gives us an exception, clarification, or addendum, I will follow the rules to the letter. (Yeah, I'm an annoying rules-lawyer.)

In preparation of the wedding reception, I packed my own PCP friendly meal (dinner plus afternoon and evening snacks). I even prepared myself for the food assault that would be the buffet. It's amazing the spread that some catering companies will lay out for a wedding! To further limit any temptation that I might have felt, I stayed away from the building where the buffet food was placed. If I can't see it, I can't sneak it!

The upside is that the bride and groom know that I'm vegetarian, so there were many vegetables in the buffet. I know it totally messed them up when I brought my own food, but I swear if they hadn't arranged the meal for a vegetarian being in their midst, the buffet would have probably been a lot less healthy. (I've been to enough weddings where much of the food was either fried or swimming in sauces galore, where the vegetables were just an appetizer.)

When everyone came back to the table, I was amazed at the amount of food they had piled on their plates. Just incredible! It was a bit of a sobering thought for me. If it weren't for the PCP, I know I would have been right there with a mountain of food like the rest of them.

I looked at my meal and remembered how I thought it was a lot of food. Then I looked at their dinners. I'm betting there were more calories on each of those plates than what was on my entire day's worth of PCP meals.

Then the incredible happened. They went back for seconds! That was followed by a trip or two to the dessert table! And that was followed by wedding cake! Topping off the whole thing calorie fest was the open bar that stayed that way all night long!!

One of the more amusing topics of dinner conversation was when they started talking about how they were going to the gym and trying to lose weight. I mentioned what I was doing on PCP, but they took one look at my meal compared to theirs and immediately dismissed it.

I use to see that mentality when I worked for a fast food restaurant. People would order the double bacon cheeseburger with everything, loaded fries, ice cream . . . and the diet soft drink because they were “watching their figures.”

Huh?!? I'm sorry, but that diet soft drink has zero calories not negative calories! It's not going to take away any of the calories from the double bacon cheeseburger you just ate! It just doesn’t work that way!

So, off they go to the gym to work out. They’re excited because the machine tells them that they’ve burned off five hundred some calories. I look back to the over 2000 calorie meal they ate just the day prior, and think to myself, “You still have a 1500 calorie defecit that needs to burn off!” But I can’t say that. They don’t want to listen. That’s okay, though. When I start looking good, they’ll have the evidence before their eyes.

Day 22: And I'm Gonna Keep On, Keep On, Up, Up

Saturday is like a bizarre twisted holiday. That's the day that Patrick sends out our new exercise regimen and meal plan for the week. It's almost like getting a Christmas present from Jack Skellington—you're glad to get the gift, but you're afraid of what's in the box!

Our exercise list is full of UPs: Sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups. As John Pinette says: I don't do ups!

Day 21: Oh No, Not A Wounded Knee

I managed to do all 1,000 jumps on Friday, of which I did the first 500 without a pause between the hundreds! It wasn't the smoothest by far as much tripping, tangling, and false starting occurred—but it was the longest run I've had so far where I haven't been wheezing and gasping for breath! It also felt great to throw five stones simultaneously.

Of course, that amazing feat did require a bunch of ice and rest afterward for the left knee. The right knee is slowly getting better (emphasis on the slowly). However, after reading everyone else's entries, I get the feeling that my knee is contagious!

Day 20: I Make Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce Because That's All I Can Make

The challenge was thrown out there to create some PCP-friendly main menu dishes. I have a number of recipes in mind, but they all seemed to require the same ingredient—tomato sauce.

The first thing was to find a recipe to make fresh tomato sauce that was quick, easy, and fit the PCP plan. There are some jar spaghetti sauces out there that can come close to being PCP friendly, but a majority of them out there include salt and/or sugar in their ingredient lists. Definitely not something that we can use!

So, I searched on the web and came across the blog for Chez Pim. One of her entries was a recipe for 15-Minute Tomato Sauce. I took a look at it. With a very slight adjustment to the ingredients, the recipe could be PCP-friendly. But the question was, would it really be tomato sauce in 15 minutes? I decided to give it a shot.

The nice thing about her recipe is that she makes it very easy to follow and includes pictures so you can make sure your tomato sauce is coming out like hers. And it was very quick to make. It probably took me a little over 15 minutes to do, but that was mainly because I was waiting for the water to boil.

CHEZ PIM'S 15-MINUTE TOMATO SAUCE—PCP STYLE

Ingredients:

2 pounds (or almost a kilo) of fresh tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
just a misting of olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste

(Pim's recipe adds a lot more olive oil and salt, which really isn't necessary. I found that the balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes give it quite a lot of flavor.)

First fill a pot with water and set it on the stove. Bring it to a boil.

While you are waiting for the water, take a sharp knife and make a cross mark on the bottom of each tomato. The water should be hot enough by the time you're done.

Plunge the tomatoes into the pot of hot water and let them sit for about a minute, until you can see the skin come a little loose at the cross mark. Remove the tomatoes from the hot water and give them a quick rinse in cold water. This will make them easy to peel.

With a small knife, peel the skin from the tomato and discard it. It should come off very easily. With the tip of the knife, cut around each green crown and remove it. Discard that too.

Then take the tomato in your hand and squeeze it until the excess juice and seeds come squirting out of it. (It's fine if a few seeds remain.) Put the tomato pulp (which is what's left in your hand) in a bowl and crush it thoroughly to break it up to small chunks.

Spray some olive oil onto a large saute pan. We use this product called Misto. Just fill it with olive oil, pump the lid, and spray onto your cooking surface. It uses a lot less than if you were to pour the olive oil in the pan. Use a brush to make sure the bottom of your pan is coated.

Toss the chopped garlic into the pan and then the tomato pulp a few seconds later. Let cook for about a minute or two (or five) until you can see the pulp breaking down and releasing the juices. Use a slotted spoon to pick up the pulp and put it in a bowl. Set that bowl to the side. Leave the juices in the pan.

Cook down the watery juice until thick, about another couple of minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Check to see if the sauce is thick enough. You should be able to scrape the bottom of the pan and the sauce will stay to the sides.

Add the tomato pulp you removed back into the pan. Stir to mix well. Check the seasonings again to make sure it's to your liking. Then pour the tomato sauce in a bowl. It will store well in the refrigerator. When I made this recipe, I ended up with 294g of tomato sauce.

Now that you have a PCP friendly base tomato sauce, it should start inspiring some more meal ideas for you. It will definitely bring you pasta back to something that you were use to.

Until next time!

Day 19: You Think You Can't But You Can

Day nineteen dawned and I got up at my usual time. My knees were very thankful for the rest and I managed to do all the strength exercises will little problem from them. The heel was still a bit tricky, but I managed it.

I went to work and it felt like I had been on my feet all day. My knees and heel were complaining. By afternoon I was dreading going home and having to do 900 jumps. I was tired and sore and just wanted to put my feet up again. By four o'clock that was my plan. I could barely stand on my right foot.

Strangely enough, when I got home from work I had this burst of energy that told me I HAD to attempt the 900 jumps for the day. I knew if I didn't make the effort then the whole thing would spiral out of control. Not jumping today could lead to no jumps the following day, and the day after that—and if I didn't have to jump, then I didn't need to do my strength exercises, and that would totally justify me to start cheating on the diet, and so on.

It wasn't a pleasant thought. I wasn't going to be the first to quit. I wasn't going to disappoint Patrick and my team. I wasn't going to return to the unhealthy life I had been living. I wasn't going to be a loser!

When I'm determined to do something, I can be a stubborn SOB. Just ask my parents.

I hobbled into my bedroom and strapped on the two knee braces. I placed a gel insert into my sneakers to help cushion the right heel. I grabbed my water bottle, tape player, and jump rope. Out the door I went to the backyard. I picked up my nine stones and set them near the tape player. Then I stretched my arms, my wrists, my shoulders, my legs, my knees. I jogged in place. I did a short meditation to sync everything together. I picked up the jump rope, turned the tape player on, and jumped.

The jumps were not the smoothest by any means. There was lots of tripping and tangling going on, but I pushed on. After each 100 jumps, I grabbed one of the nine stones and threw it. Eventually I ran out of stones. I had successfully completed 900 jumps. I finished with a number of cool-down stretches, a walk around the backyard, and a short meditation.

I went back into the house, took off the knee braces, grabbed a pack of ice and foot bath of warm water. As I sat there with my foot soaking and ice on my knees, my partner came in to the room and said to me, "With all that stuff on, you looked just like the bionic man."

"I feel just about as broken as he was."

"Yeah," he responded. "But they made him stronger. And that's what you're doing. Sure, you may need extra equipment to help keep things in place and it may take you a little longer than it would some of the younger people, but you'll eventually get there."

Yes I will.

Day 18: To See If I Still Feel I Focus On The Pain

And on the eighteenth day, I went to the doctor.

It originally started with the right leg. It had been bothering me since the first week of PCP. The knee was starting to get sore and it hurt to walk on my right foot. Not too much fun when you're camping and have to walk everywhere.

To compensate for the weakness on the right side, my left leg began bearing the weight of everything, especially in the realm of the jump rope. That worked out well for a while. Yeah, my right knee was killing me but at least I had the left leg for support.

Until Monday.

Eventually the left knee began wearing down. By the end of the jump ropes both knees were in agony. Ibuprofen and IcyHot were very much my friends that night. The next morning I called my doctor for an appointment.

For the knees, the doctor recommended using a brace on the left as I had already done for the right. He also showed me a couple of new stretches to use for warming up and cooling down. The final suggestion was putting ice on the knees after I finished jumping to help with any soreness and swelling.

The right foot required a bit more work. The end result was some very minor surgery on the heel. I hobbled out of the doctor's office and went shopping for medication for the foot and another knee brace. By the time I got home, the legs let me know that they had had it for the day. Following the doctor's instructions, I grabbed a good book and put my foot up. There was going to be no jump rope that evening. (Luckily I had done the strength part in the morning.)

Day 17: All I Know For Sure Is I'm Trying. I Will Always Stand My Ground

I gave the yard a second chance today. It had been begging me to take it back after it had failed me once, so I was very leary of it's enticing offer. You know what they say—once bitten, twice shy.

But the yard came back to me with a new look, a much shorter 'do. No longer was it the long-haired hippie that greeted me when I came back from vacation. It now was sporting a close-cropped sassy look. Very desirable, but I didn't want a repeat from before.

"C'mon, man!" J-Rope said. "Let's give it another chance. The yard has reformed. No more of those wild days. It's ready to be there for you."

I'm a sucker for second chances and sporty new looks. So me and J-Rope went out into the backyard for some one-on-one-on-one time. Janet Jackson was singing in the background as I grabbed nine rocks out of the flower bed and set them in a row nearby.

The jumps began.

I have to hand it to the yard—it played real nice, not ever once being a tease and flirting with J-Rope. We were there to do some serious work. 100 jumps. I took one of the rocks and tossed it back into the flower bed. 200 jumps. Another rock tossed. 300 jumps. 400. 500. Eventually all the way to 850 jumps, and the nine rocks were back in the flower bed.

The yard had done us good. Maybe it had changed it's ways. It was worth a shot. J-Rope and I decided we would give it another try tomorrow. The yard had earned my trust.

And now, more Creative Cooking from E's Kitchen!

Not-So Devilish Eggs

Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled egg whites
low-fat cottage cheese (enough to fill four egg halves - I used approximately 80g)
curry powder to taste
mustard powder to taste
paprika to taste

Take the low-fat cottage cheese and add about a pinch of curry powder and a pinch of mustard powder to it. Mix it together. (If you like more or less curry or mustard, feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.)

Fill the hollow of the egg with the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little paprika on the top for some extra color. You can add a parsley sprig for a festive touch.

Day 16: You've Got To Learn To Brace Yourself

I knew that Friday was going to be a hectic day for me, so I decided to do my ropes in the morning instead of my usual late afternoon/evening time. So, I went outside and started jumping. By jump three or four, my right knee totally gave out, sending me sprawling to the ground. After lying there on the driveway for a few minutes, I managed to pick myself up and limp back into the house. My legs had decided there would be no ropes for me that day.

I rested my leg for the remainder of Friday, and most of Saturday. Then I went out and bought a knee stabilizer. (It's like a knee brace, but allows leg movement.) I put it on and went outside to challenge it against the ropes.

800 jumps later, my knees were sore but not the painful mess they had been previously. I still had to take some ibuprofen and rub some IcyHot on it, but a few hours later I was walking just fine, and sometimes better, than I had days before. I was actually able to walk up the stairs, instead of having to take it one step at a time.

My knee stayed pretty happy for most of today—that is until came to be rope time. My partner persuaded me to do my jumps in the house, as the temperature and humidity was really awful outside. I decided I would give it a try.

Big mistake.

Although there is enough room to swing a rope around, there is too much stuff around. I was in constant fear that either I would hit something on the wall or mantle, that the rope would be caught on the couch or the entertainment center, or that I would rip the ceiling fan out of it's socket. That fear influenced my jumping like crazy. I tripped more than I jumped, and the sudden stoppage of movement would twist my knee just enough it would start to ache. I even broke that rope twice, which my partner fixed both times. I got very frustrated, especially since yesterday's jumps had been so good!

Fed up, I finally took my jump rope outdoors and finished my 800 in the driveway with little problem. That seems to be the only place where I can jump rope without major issues. I know that I'll need to create a "rope-safe" space in the house, especially if I want to jump rope in the winter, but for now it'll be the driveway.

Mike's post last week about what to make with the night-time snack got my gears a turning. Here's what I came up with:

BLUEBERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:
1/2 of your fruit grams in blueberries
1/2 of your fruit grams in banana
3/4 of your milk grams in plain low-fat yogurt (we make our own here, so there's no sugar in it)
1/4 of your milk grams in low-fat milk
1/2 cup crushed ice

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. (I used the "grind" setting on my blender in order to really pulverize the ice.) It was a very nice treat on this hot and humid summer day.

Enjoy!

Day 15: Colours Of The World, Spice Up Your Life

Getting bored with your meals? Do you feel if you eat one more egg you'll crack? Need to add some pep to your bell peppers? Does your fish fillet flounder? What can you do to add a bit more zing to your food?

Well, look no further than your very own spice rack! Yes, spices can bring life back into your food, and the best part of all is that they're 100% free! That's right! Spices add nothing to your meal plan totals!

If you have never used spices in your food, or the only spices you've ever tried are those that come pre-packaged with your hamburger helper, then you are in for a world of adventure!

SPICE 101: For the spicing beginner, there is a very easy and simple method to exploring spices: Just take a bit of food and sprinkle a little bit of spice on it. It will allow you to taste the flavor of the spice and gives you an idea of how well it will mix with that food item. This way you won't spoil your whole plate with a spice that you find utterly revolting!

SPICE 201: Once you get comfortable with those single spice flavors, it's time to mix it up a bit. Try combining two or three spices together! The easiest way to achieve this is to do something I call "Cooking With Color". For the most part, spices that are the same color tend to work well with other spices of the same hue. Here's a sampling of some spices that work well together with others in their color groups:

White spices: garlic powder, onion powder. (Stay away from garlic salt and onion salt. They're not PCP-friendly.)
Red spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder.
Yellow spices: mustard powder, curry powder.
Green spices: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dill weed.
Brown spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

Just a little dash of this and a little dash of that from the same color group will help perk up your meals! From there you can advance to the spice blends!

SPICE 301: Spice blends are really great to add pizzazz to any food. Just mix the blend ahead of time and store it in an air-tight container. Usually a spice blend recipe uses enough ingredients to last you a while. Just be careful! Some spice blend recipes include salt! The nice thing is that you can just leave out the salt from the recipe—it won't hurt the flavor a bit!

Here are some of my favorite spice blends that take minimal effort:

SWEET SPICE BLEND

Mix together:
2 rounded tablespoons ground ginger
2 rounded tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 heaping tablespoons powdered bay leaves (Just use a spice grinder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground clovers


STRONG BLACK SPICE BLEND

Mix together:
1/4 cup fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup ground long pepper (If you can't find long pepper, use additional black pepper)
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 whole nutmeg, grated


CHINESE FIVE SPICE BLEND

Mix together:
1 1/2 tablespoons ground star anise
2 1/2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cassia or cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Szechwan pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

(Optional: 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and/or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Both will give added bite and depth of flavor)


CREOLE SEASONING BLEND

Mix together:
2 tablespoons PLUS 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper

And there you have it! Just sprinkle a little of these spice blends on your food and make the flavor sing!

Until next time,

Bon Appétit!

Day 14: I'm Your Ice Cream Man, Stop Me When I'm Passin' By

Today is the first big test of willpower—me versus the workplace.

Last week (our first week on PCP) I was asked how I was handling the hunger, since we were only eating half portions of our normal meals. That part was easy for me due to a number of factors: I was on vacation and camping, it was hot outside, I was drinking quite a bit of water, and I was constantly on the move keeping myself busy by doing something every moment.

Camping meant that I was not around a lot of food to draw my attention. Hot weather tends to reduce my appetite anyways. Lots of water keeps my stomach feeling full. And since I was so busy, my mind was actively thinking of other things than food.

That was one of the reasons why I dreaded going back to work. There's usually lots of food around me because many of the people here either order out for lunch or they're bringing in food to share (and the table they use is next to my cubicle). I'm sitting in air-conditioning so my appetite is at normal capacity. Because I'm cooler, I often don't drink as much water as I should. And I'm just sitting here at a desk, staring at a computer, so I'm not really physically active.

Today is ordering out day, and I'm being bombarded with the scent of pizza, barbeque sauce, burgers, fries, chicken wings, and more. Someone brought in birthday cake and now they've announced that the company is providing free ice cream for everyone.

That's one of my worst food triggers—free. When food is free, my body goes into this frenzy to eat as much of it as I possibly can, like I'm starving or something. It doesn't matter that I'm not hungry at all, or that I'm stuffed to the gills; if you tell me it's free food, I'll be grazing right along with the rest of them!

There were times I could be pretty good about not ordering out. All I had to do was think of how much money I had. If there wasn't any available money, then I couldn't order out. There was a cost associated with eating. But with free, there is no cost!

Or is there?

I can look at myself in the mirror and see the cost. My body is very out of shape. It has been pushed to the limits from many days of getting up early AND staying up late. (I have been known to exist on 3-5 hours of sleep.) I associate with people who eat out all the time and think fried foods are a healthy alternative because the restaurants use vegetable oil. And exercise was something I only did when I had a free moment—and of course I never found the free moments.

Over the past couple of years I have been experiencing a change in myself, in my thoughts, in my being, in my perception of my life and how it really should be. I really can't afford to be the person I was.

So, I look out the window and watch the ice cream truck drive off with one extra ice cream bar that has my name on it still sitting in it's freezer. The battle of wills has been won this time. It's still early in the game and my determination is strong.

However, it doesn't mean my inner child isn't banging on that window, screaming for the ice cream truck to come back.

Day 13: Here It Goes Again

I've been experiencing the oddest sensations lately. I'm actually starting to get hungry just before each main meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

When the meal plan began (and I call it a meal plan, because the word "diet" still has too many negative connotations), I couldn't believe all the food we were going to eat. Like a good little trooper, I would finish every bite that was required—but man, was I ever slowing down! There were times those three big meals required a lot more time to eat. The good thing about slowing down meant I actually tasted the food.

But now I'm getting hungry usually about 30 minutes before my scheduled times. It's not a ravenous hunger, but my stomach is letting me know it's almost time to eat. I wasn't expecting this. Is this happening to anyone else?

For some light-hearted fun, here is one of my favorite exercise videos. Okay, it really isn't exercise, but if it were it would totally rock! (This is a side-by-side comparison of the original video by Ok Go and a group of high school students who decided to tackle the maneuvers.)

Day 12: But It's My Destiny To Be The King Of Pain

I think I need to buy some stock in IcyHot and companies the produce ibuprofen. Although I am starting to get into the swing of the jump rope (all 700 baby, and even one that was a perfect 100 in a row), my legs are a painful mess afterward. I stretch them before I jump, I stretch them between sets of 100, and I stretch them afterward. It doesn't seem to make a difference so far. When I'm finished I can barely crawl up the steps into the house and then crawl up the stairs to take a shower. (Actually, I take the stairs one step at a time, relying quite heavily on the banister to keep up upright.) My legs are just screaming at me. The shin splints and the twisted knee are the worst of the bunch. The calves complain, but that's just because I can feel the muscles actually getting stronger there.

Yes, there was a moment today where I absolutely could no longer stand the pain, as I waited for the ibuprofen and IcyHot to kick in. That was the moment I so wanted to cry. The other exercises are great. They don't cause me pain like the jump rope. (I still love my new jump rope, though. It works so well with me!) I've even split the exercises up so all of those curls and push-ups and sit-ups are completed in the morning before I go to work. I save the jump rope for when I get home, because afterward I find it very hard to walk. (Unfortunately, I can't not walk at work.)

Once the meds begin to work, most of the pain subsides and I can somewhat do things that give me the semblance of a normal life. It's not easy to go up and down stairs, or even stand for that matter, but I sure as dickens know that I'll be doing all of this over again tomorrow.

Why? Because I'm a masochist. Naw, not really. It's because there is a goal that I have in mind, a goal that I'm going to reach by the end of these 90 days. I am going to be healthier and stronger, and hopefully leaner.

Pain is a challenge. It is also a confirmation. My body hasn't exercised like this in who knows how many years. I am getting a far better workout, and a lot more sweat, than I ever had. Yes, my legs are rebelling, but they're not use to all this jumping around.

Is the agony I go through worth it? Darn tootin' it is! I know that tomorrow morning I will get up out of bed with my legs complaining all the way, and enthusiastically dive right in to those sit-ups, and push-ups, and curls. And I know that tomorrow evening, I will be outside jumping my little heart out.

I have seen many people with conditions that are worse than my aching knees, and yet they forge on with grace and a "can do" spirit which pushes them on to accomplish some amazing things. Should I allow myself to do less than them? No.

So bring on the IcyHot! Bring on the ibuprofen. I've got more jumps to do!

Day 11: Don't Lose Yourself Or Your Hope 'Cause Life's Like A Jump Rope

I love my new jump rope. Yes, you read that correctly. I absolutely love it! And I think it likes me too.

After the demise of the Implement of Torture previous jump rope as I barely thwarted it's attempt to seriously maim me, I had to quickly go out and buy a new one. I walked into the sporting goods store and looked at all of the different kinds of jump rope they sold. It's absolutely amazing the prices they charge for some of them!

The Implement of Torture previous jump rope was one of those old-style models that were often found in grade school gym class: cotton rope which was attached to two wooden handles by means of a metal connector. The kind of device that many boys used as numchuks much to many a girl's dismay. Yeah, it was old school.

The new jump rope is all black and very sleek. Although I attempted to use it yesterday, the Implement of Torture previous jump rope made sure I was in no condition to really try the new one out. So today was really the first day I was able to take the new jump rope out for a spin.

After my previous experience, I was dreading what evil plot it had in store for me. With trepidation, I swung the rope. The grips helped guide my hands to the proper position, and with just a flick of the wrist the rope went around effortlessly. It gave a gentle tap the ground, emitting a soft "tic" sound to let me know that I had to jump over it. "Tic", hop, "tic", hop. Eventually, it stopped the "tic" sound. Swoosh, jump, swoosh, jump, swoosh, jump. It was like a dream! I didn't have to jump very high in order to clear it. My knee was thankful for that little mercy!

Before I knew it, I had completed 100 jumps before having to stop and catch my breath. Oh, they weren't smooth jump in the least as I stumbled a few times, but the new jump rope was there with it's encouragement. "See how easy 100 jumps can be?" it prompted enthusiastically. "The next 100 can be just as easy."

The time flew by for me and the new jump rope. 650 jumps completed, and by the end I wasn't even sounding like a walrus during mating season. It was the best session I ever had! Although I wish we could have played more, we both knew that I had to stop for the day. We'll get together again tomorrow to tackle the 700 jumps.

Day 10: Strictly Butter Baby, Strictly Butter

Okay, now I know that the Implement of Torture jump rope hates me. Since the first day I laid hands on it, it has consistently tried to take my life—or at least maim me. On the very first day it tripped me up while trying to jump on the uneven ground, giving my knee a little twist. That made jumping a bit of a challenge, but I refused to let the rope win.

Then came the knuckle smashing. Yeah, I had picked up one of those old fashion type ropes, made of cotton with wooden handles and metal connectors. Sometimes when it tried to trip me it would hit my knuckles with those metal pieces, and now they're black & blue.

After a couple of good sets, it decided I needed to trip again—but there was a fatal flaw in it's plan. Just as I was hitting jump #434, I stepped on it as it swung around. The rope snapped. The Implement of Torture jump rope is no more! BWA-HA-HA-HA! Unfortunately, it also twisted my knee enough that it too decided to give.

I immediately went out to buy another jump rope of a totally different style. It cost a little more, but there were no metal pieces that would threaten my knuckles. When I came home, I attempted to finish the remaining jumps. After about a hundred more, my knee gave out. The rest of the afternoon was spent nursing the knee. (Luckily, I had completed all of the other exercises before attempting to use the Implement of Torture jump rope.)

So today was a partial victory. Only 116 jumps more and it would have been a total win. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

For those of you who don't know, I love to cook. I like to make foods from other cuisines, or try recreating a medieval recipe, or even experimenting and whipping something up. This morning I was reading a book on Indian cooking (The Turmeric Trail by Raghavan Iyer). In a side-note comment for his Ghee recipe, he says:

"As I always warn my students, you cannot hurry perfection. You may be tempted to turn up the heat to expedite the process of melting butter and skimming the milk solids. Fall into that trap and watch your butter burn."

It made me think about what we're doing with this program. We're trying to get into peak condition—a kind of perfection for our well-being. Although we may wish for it to occur overnight, we know it can't be hurried. Some people ramp up their exercises trying to get to the end-goal faster, but that would be like turning up the heat on the butter. They'd burn out before they got there.

Perfection cannot be hurried. We're slowly building up our exercises. We're changing our tastes and adjusting the way we eat. We're learning new things so we can live in wellness for the rest of our lives. It takes time.

The goal is not the destination, but the journey we take to get there.

Day 9: I Am Changing, Trying Every Way I Can

Vacation is almost over. Le sigh. I am actually home now, but I still have one more day off. Two weeks of medieval camping means that a person needs some time to re-acclimate to modern world.

Today began with a lot of improvisation. Since I was gone for two weeks, I really didn't have much in the house to eat that met PCP meal approval. I managed to get pretty close to my breakfast plan, so I think I did okay.

Then I quickly ran out to the store to pick up the other things that I needed: a bar for chin-ups, push-up bars, and that elastic cord thingy for curls and stuff. Once again, my time is all out of whack. I miss my morning snack break, so I had that for lunch, which meant lunch was pushed to the afternoon snack time, which moved that to dinner, which is moving that for a bit later this evening. It was the classic domino effect.

This afternoon I managed to do the Day 8 exercises. Yeah, I'm one day behind. Although I did manage to get the Implement of Torture jump rope to cooperate a bit. Two sets of fifty jumps without a single trip (not counting the obligatory wheeze-fest in between the sets). I also discovered that the flat, paved surface of the driveway made it a lot easier than the muddy, grassy uneven hillside I had been using during the week prior.

Then I alternated between the Implement of Torture jump rope and the other exercises. One hundred jumps, sixty-eight squats, one hundred jumps, eighteen incline pull-ups, one hundred jumps, forty-four push-ups, etc. Mixing it up a bit kept it from being dull and repetitious (although my legs still balked at the idea of having to do "only fifty more jumps" during the entire session).

At least I am home now. I can now easily update this blog, and cook my own meals, and read my emails, and so forth. The first week was a little bit of a challenge, but I managed it. And no, you will not find photos of me in a Renaissance outfit trying to jump a rope. That would just be silly.

Day 8: They Are Fading With Exhaustion

This morning found me packing up the camp. There were many things that needed to be counted, packed, transported, and placed in the storage unit. Once our camp stuff was put away, it was time to pack my tent and things. That was followed by many hours of driving with a couple of stops along the way for food. I didn't get home until after 10pm and it wasn't until after 11pm that I had unpacked the car. So I'll be dropping into bed, thoroughly exhausted.

Needless to say, the first day of my assigned meal plan and Day 8 exercises were a total bust. I mainly stuck to salads and vegetables for food (as there really was no easy way for me to measure out everything, let alone cook).

Tomorrow I'll do better.

Day 7: A Heart Attack, You're Givin' Me A Heart Attack!

Today started out with me having a minor heart attack when I realized that the number of jumps really increased from the previous day. Then I had a second minor heart attack trying to complete them.

The Implement of Torture jump rope does not play very well with my body. Right now I can barely do fifty jumps without tripping and then having to take a break so I can stop wheezing. But so far, doing fifty at a time helps. (Then, every time I hit a hundred mark I gave myself the proverbial pat on the back for just surviving!)

I did have one moment where I discovered "zen jumping". It was so hot and I was plain tired that I closed my eyes, swung the rope and jumped, surrendering myself to that moment. Amazingly enough, I managed to do fifty jumps non-stop. I couldn't believe it! Of course, I couldn't recreate it either. But hey, you gotta take the little victories whenever you can.

Day 6: A Lost Weekend in Shangri-La

My legs have decided to rebel. Feet are sore, knees are sore, shins are sore. They say they're not use to jumping rope. They demand that I cease all jumping immediately or else.

I counter their argument. I tell them that this is going to be good for my health and well-being. I tell them that their load will be lighter when there is less of me to haul around. I tell them that there will be more energy for them to share.

They don't like my answers. They want to know what's in it for them right now.

I tell them that I'm going to give them an afternoon of decadence. The exercises are done for today, and I will let them have some rest. I am going to treat my feet to a spa in the camp. Bath salts, peppermint foot lotion, scrubs, warm water, roses, the works.

My legs rejoice. The rest of my body starts grumbling. What about it?

Don't worry, I reassure it comfortingly. There will be someone there to give massages. Everyone will be taken care of.

My body leaps for joy! It has worked real hard this week and loves the idea of being pampered for a few hours. It's happy. I'm happy. And it is an indulgence that has nothing to do with food. (Shhhh. Don't tell my stomach. It's still excited about the massage.)

Day 5: Laugh 'Cause The Music Is Funny

Day 4: I Love The (K)night Life, I Want To Boogie

So, what is your idea of camping?

For me it looks a little like this:

I'm part of a group called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It's an international organization that recreates the Middle Ages. Around this time of year, many of us head towards Pennsylvania for the largest gathering of SCAdians for a two week and event, known as the Pennsic War. Usually there will be about 10,000 - 14,000 people in attendance.

In many ways it's a bit more rustic than you're use to -- in other ways it's more modern than you'd think. One of the great things about it is that we try to go back to a simpler time where the best way to travel is by foot and food doesn't come prepackaged. That doesn't mean everyone follows that regimen.

With so many people in attendance, you can see a wide array of body types. Unfortunately there are many who are a bit on the heavy side. It's a helpful reminder for me to push on with a healthier lifestyle. These people can't walk more than a few steps without stopping. They eat many unhealthy options (which there is plenty), drink enormous quantities of alcohol, can barely survive the weather, and have many MANY medical problems.

I don't want to be like that. I want to be able to enjoy life for quite some time.

Yes, this first week has been a little tough with the jump rope. The other exercises have been fine, it's just that damnable piece of rope that loves to threaten my feet.

My legs are sore and really wish I'd stop. I think even my body wants to rebel against me. There have been moments when the passing thought is to quit torturing myself. Then I look at the people around me. That is more than enough incentive to keep pushing onward.

Time for more jumps!

Day 3: I'm A Tangled Up Puppet, Spinning Round In Knots

Day 2: And The Rain Falls Down

When you're camping, anything that you do is totally at the will of nature. It's great when you have days full of sunshine, but when it rains things get a little more difficult—and difficult is a far cry from impossible. It's just a challenge to test your will and resolve.

The rain began a few days ago. For the most part it has been just steady, with periodic sprinkles; however, there have been many moments when a torrential downpour has had everyone scrambling to save their tents in an desperate attempt to keep things dry. Some succeed, others do not.

This was the challenge set before me by the 'Verse: attempt the PCP exercises in the most unique situations possible. Well, I'm a long-time camper who has a bit of MacGyver in him. Rain wasn't going to stop me!

My tent provided enough room to handle everything except the jump rope. That was were everything was going to get interesting! The weather did take pity on me and it stopped raining long enough to complete the jumps. It was probably the funniest thing for everyone else to see, though. Jump, squish, jump, squish, jump, squish, jump, SPLASH! Yeah, I invariably found the puddle.

So there I am, in the middle of a mud puddle. What's a person to do? That's an easy answer. Laugh!! After a minute or so of breathless laughter, I crawled out of the puddle, got dry shoes, and continued with the rest of the jumps. The puddle decided to leave me alone for the rest of the exercise.

And the 'Verse smiled.

Day 1: Might As Well Jump. Jump!

When I read the "Day One" email from Patrick, I thought to myself, "This will be a piece of cake. I can jump rope. I use to do it all the time as a kid. Then I attempted to jump rope. I barely could make it to 25 without tripping or having to stop to catch my breath. Yeah, I had no problems jumping rope as a kid -- but there's a lot more of me now than there was then. But somehow I managed to accomplish the full number of jumps. The other exercises were easy, as I have been doing them on and off for the past year.

The part that I'm going to find hard right now will be trying to eat only half of what I normally eat. The reason this is going to be tricky is that I am currently on vacation and I'm camping. When I'm in the outdoors, I don't eat as much as I usually do. Everything is rationed out and when it's gone, it's gone. There's no cupboard or refrigerator to run to whenever the munchies attack.

So, I'm having to resort to thinking about how much I would usually eat if I were home and then trying to half that. I know there are times when I'll just chow down two veggie burgers, just because I don't want to waste the food since it's cooked -- so for this week, I need to only eat one. Along with that, I'm going to restrain myself to only one helping of side dishes and not go for seconds, as well as eyeballing my portion sizes. (I've done many diets and such over the years, so I remember things like: 4 oz of meat is the size of your palm, butter is the size of a die, and so forth.)

The easy thing for me to get rid of will be the salt. I have an adverse reaction to it, so I tend to not add it to my food. The hardest thing will be sugar. Yes, I have a pretty big sweet tooth. But the time has come for me to start thinking about my health and let go of some of those things that do not enhance my health. That is the journey worth traveling.