A Day In The Life

Several people have asked me on Facebook, myfitnesspal.com, and face to face what I  am doing to lose weight.  I imagine that most of them know all of the things that I am doing and are just asking as a reminder and our simply curious.  But, I also think there are some who are looking for that "magic" pill, drug, diet, or program and want to know why I have been able to shed this much weight this quickly.  Well, there is no "magic" pill.  For me, it has been a simple formula.  I eat better.  I eat smaller quantities.  I eat more often.  And, I exercise.  But, in the interest of sharing my secret, I thought I would detail a typical day in the life of Anthony.  At the very least I will have a post to point people to when they ask the question, "What are you doing?".  Here is what I did today.  While each day differs slightly, this is a pretty good representation.

Food
At work...
Yoplait Light Fat Free Yogurt - I start EVERY day with a yogurt, usually around 8:30 A.M. during the week and whenever I wake up on the weekends.
Strawberries, 5 - Around 10:00 A.M., I have some kind of fruit or Kashi Go Lean hot cereal... some times I mix the two (crazy, I know!).
Kuner's Cut Green Beans, 1/2 can - Around 11:15 A.M., I have some kind of vegetable.  Typically, I eat canned green beans or carrots, or broccoli or cauliflower that I cooked the weekend before.
Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon, full can - Around Noon, I have 4 ounces of chicken, fish, or imitation crab.
Kuner's Soutwestern Pinto Beans with Jalapenos, 1/3 can - Around 12:45, I have some beans (I alternate between these, black beans, or chili beans with no salt) or another fruit.  Typically, I will alternate days with Kashi Go Lean, Fiber One bars, or beans to avoid getting too much fiber (never thought I would have that problem!).
Creamy Peanut Butter - Some time in the afternoon I will usually have an orange or a tablespoon of peanut butter. 
For dinner...
Salad, 1/2 cup - Most nights I have a salad, but not always.  Usually we have a pre-packaged salad mix and mix it 50/50 with some spinach leaves.
Pompeian Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tablespoon - I no longer use salad dressings... other than those exceptions when I order Ranch dressing at a restaurant.  Lucky for me, I really like plain balsamic vinegar on my salad with nothing else.
Strawberries, 6 - Or some other fruit or vegetable.
Grilled chicken, 6 ounces - Again, we alternate between grilling, baking or slow-cooking in a crockpot chicken, fish, pork, lean ground turkey, or shrimp. 
Panda Express Orange Sauce - On occasion we will add something to the meat and have found three great sauces made by Panda Express - Mandarin, Orange, and Kung Pao.  All of them are tasty and, if used sparingly, not that bad nutritionally.
After workout...
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein, scoop - I added this about three week ago to get my calories up and to ensure that I was getting enough protein for my workouts.  It has made a world of difference in how I feel.
Metamucil, orange flavor, 1 tablespoon - This became a daily routine when I went through my issues with diverticulitis and I mix it in with my protein to make a creamy good orange-chocolate smoothie that I pretend is as good as the large chocolate shake that I used to get at McDonald's!
Sunkist Oven Roasted Almonds, 6 - Gotta have almonds... which I have actually grown to enjoy after disliking them for most of my life.
Kuner's Cut Green Beans, 1/2 can - Depending on how I feel and how many calories I have consumed, I may add another fruit or vegetable as I did tonight.
To drink...
Green tea - I drink at least 16 ounces of green tea daily at work and more at night if we have it with dinner.
Water - I drink a minimum of 80 ounces of water daily and usually am above 96 ounces. 

Exercise
Treadmill - I walk on the treadmill a minimum of 50 minutes daily without exception...  62 days in a row now.
Weights - I alternate between legs/chest and arm workouts every night.  I decided last week to start taking off one day a week from the weights... that has yet to happen. 
Other activities - As time and energy permit!

That was today.  What is common amongst my days is that I try to eat 6-10 times each day.  I watch my fiber.  I try to get my calories between 1,200 to 1,500 and struggle despite feeling like I am always eating and never that hungry.  I try to keep my fat grams low.  I try to get my protein numbers pretty high.  I watch my sodium pretty closely because of the way I feel when I get too much salt... though today is not a great example.  I don't watch carbs or cholesterol, though I do track them and when I am eating similar to the above they never seem to be an issue.  We use olive oil on the few occasions we use oil.  Other than a few sips of Pepsi over the last two months, I do not drink soda any more.  I have probably had six beers in the last 15 weeks.  My desk is full of canned vegetables, beans, salmon, Kashi Go Lean, and Fiber One bars.  I have also gotten pretty good about planning my days so that I have few surprises and know what I need to add or subtract to hit my goals.  When I go to events like the graduation party yesterday, I eat 25-33% of what I used to eat.  My worst days now are a pittance compared to my bad days in the past. 

So, there you have it.  For those who don't give a crap, sorry for the detail.  Hopefully, it helps the many who have asked to understand a little better.  My friend Will Valentine summed it  up best when he quoted his trainer...  "Eat less, move more".  Four simple but very powerful words.  Here's to  finding whatever diet and exercise routine that works for you...  and,  I mean really WORKS for you...