Sunday 10/11 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Mashed Potatoes 245 cals
Chicken breast, cooked, 295g, 445 cals
Hard-Boiled egg 70 cals
Stir-fry veggies w/sauce 330 cals
Almonds 18g, 108 cals
Ranch Dressing 22 cals

Total Calories--1470
Water--1 Liter

Exercise--Bike 60 minutes/7.7 miles
6K Steps

Monday 10/12 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Air-fried Potatoes, 239g, 191 cals
Olive Oil, 1/2 Tbsp, 60 cals
Chicken breast, cooked, 460 cals
Hard-Boiled eggs, 2 ea, 140 cals
Lettuce 100 cals
Ranch Dressing 57g, 209 cals
Parmesan cheese, 7g, 28 cals
Almonds, 8 ea, 48 cals

Total Calories--1486
Water--1 Liter

Exercise--Bike 30 minutes/3.75 miles
4K Steps

My left knee's been hurting a bit when trying to a (bodyweight) squat. Nothing serious, but I took it easy today. I'm retired military, USAF. I was an aircraft electrician and spent many years on my hands and knees working on jet aircraft, mainly F-16s.

My weekly weigh-in is tomorrow, I'm expecting a 3lb. loss, give or take a few ounces. (I weigh myself each morning but I only record it once a week, as my weight can easily fluctuate 5 lbs. depending on water retention).

Tuesday 10/13

Weekly weigh-in 216.6 lbs.
loss for the week--3.2 lbs.
Total weight loss (after 5 weeks)--15.4 lbs.

So far so good, just need my left knee to get well. I may just make this a rest day.

Tuesday 10/13 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Chicken Breast, cooked, 477 cals
Air-fried potatoes, 270g, 216 cals
Olive Oil, 2/3 Tbsp 80 cals
Broccoli, 292g, 100 cals
Ranch Dressing, 21g, 77 cals
Almonds, 14g, 85 cals
Hard-Boiled egg 70 cals

Total Calories--1355

Exercise--5K steps

Wednesday 10/14 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Baked Potato, 2 ea, 379 cals
Hard-Boiled Egg 70 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 6 oz, 255 cals
Butter, 11g, 76 cals
Parmesan Cheese, 1 tsp, 20 cals
Almonds, 14g, 85 cals
Bud Light, 2ea, 220 cals

Total calories--1355
Water-- 1/2 Liter

Exercise--4K steps

My left knee is feeling much better, I may start my a.m. walking again tomorrow.

Thursday 10/15 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Cod, 16 oz, 240 cals
Olive Oil, 1 Tsp, 40 cals
Butter, 21g, 147 cals
Baked Potato, 216g, 173 cals
Rice 300 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 9 oz, 383 cals

Total Calories--1533
Water--1.5 Liters

Exercise Bike--40 min, 4.85 miles
3K steps

Friday 10/16 Food Log

93% Lean Ground Beef, 4 oz, 170 cals
Baked cod, 8 oz, 120 cals
Rice 600 cals
Butter, 2 Tbsp, 200 cals
Tartar sauce 77 cals
Blue Moon beer, 3 ea, 480 cals

Total Calories--1647
Water--1.5 Liters

Exercise--15K steps

Both of my knees felt good this morning. I thought the exercise bike may be causing the discomfort. Walked about 6+ miles today, I'll see how the knees feel tomorrow a.m. Speaking of ailments, I occasionally have right hip discomfort, and both of my feet will also give me problems, but thankfully not both at once (old injuries).

Saturday 10/17 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 14 oz, 595 cals
Potatoes, 290g, 232 cals
Butter, 4g, 28 cals
Ranch Dressing 9g, 33 cals
Green Beans 160 cals
Almonds, 20g, 120 cals

Total Calories--1418
Water--1.5 Liters

Exercise bike--(1) 40 min/5.3 miles (2) 20 min/2.5 miles

Sunday 10/18 Food Log

Oatmeal 250 cals
Hard-Boiled Egg 70 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 6 oz, 255 cals
Ketchup, 1 Tbsp, 20 cals
Smoked Pork Chops, 2 ea, 500 cals
Baked Potatoes, 2 ea, 210 g, 168 cals
Butter, 8g, 56 cals
Ham, 1/2 oz, 35 cals
cheese, 1/2 oz, 55 cals
Almonds, 14g, 85 cals
Olive Oil, 1/2 Tbsp, 60 cals

Total Calories--1554
Water--1.25 Liters

Exercise--10K steps
exercise bike 20 min/2.7 miles
exercise bike 20 min/2.4 miles

Monday 10/20 Food Log

Oatmeal 260 cals
Pork Chops, 2 ea, 350 cals
Baked Potato, 2 ea, 438g, 351 cals
Ham, 2 oz, 70 cals
Cheese, 1/2 oz, 55 cals
Butter, 12g, 84 cals
Almonds, 14 ea, 85 cals

Total Calories--1255
Water--1 Liter

Exercise bike 30 min/3.5 miles, Fitbit-10K steps

Weekly weigh-in--216.8 lbs
loss/gain +0.2 lbs
Total lbs lost after 6 weeks 15.2 lbs

It's a bit perplexing to gain weight after eating at a deficit for the past 7 days, but it is what it is. I did lose over 3 lbs the previous week, so this is probably a minor correction, water weight, etc.

Anyway, it's been 6 weeks since I began this diet. I've gone from a 42 to a 40 pants (waist) size, and I've lost 3.5 inches off my stomach. I didn't take any other body related measurements. My resting heart rate has gone down, and my fitness level, while not probably not great, is at a much higher level than 2 months ago.

It is normal for there to be variance. As long as the trend is down over longer-term, it is working

Agree with faux-BTM, the trend line going down is what you want. Could be any number of things, including salt intake - sustainability-wise, "too slow" is probably better than too fast anyway.

Refresh my memory if it's been mentioned somewhere in the log, but scanning back a few days, I'm not seeing a ton of fruits and/or vegetables - what's up with that?

:chathumb:, good start.

If OP is like me he eats little to no fruit and doesn't bother tracking vegetables.

Yeah, thanks, I seem to have a good week, then a sub-par week. I suspect next week will be a good week

You're right, I've been skimping on the veggies this past week. Normally I try to get a green veggie in with lunch and dinner. I had planned to eat some salads these past few days, but it never happened. I like most green veggies, I mainly eat spinach or broccoli. Which reminds me, I really like cabbage, need to start incorporating that into my meal plans.

Fruit, not a big fruit guy. I bought 3 bananas and some blueberries a few weeks ago. Ate the bananas and a handful of blueberries, the rest of the berries went into the trash. Oh, and I guess I eat the occasional tomato.

Thanks. I track veggies but I'm not a big fruit guy. Also, that whole milk for my oatmeal makes a huge difference in taste.

More filling, too.

Tuesday 10/20 Food Log

Oatmeal 270 cals
Salad w/Ranch Dressing 410 cals
Mackerel, 4 oz, 190 cals
Broccoli, 170g, 60 cals
93% Ground Beef, 6 oz, 255 cals
Rice 150 cals
Butter, 3g, 24 cals
Almonds, 7g, 42 cals
Fish Oil 45 cals

Total Calories--1446
Water--2 Liters

Exercise--17K Steps, also did some resistance training.

I increased my oatmeal calories by 20 since I replaced skim milk with whole milk. Also started taking the fish oil supplements, 3 per day, 15 cals per capsule.
Mackerel is a food I've been wanting to try. It sounds nasty but it was actually pretty tasty.

Wednesday 10/21 Food Log

Oatmeal 270 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 6 oz, 255 cals
Ketchup, 1 Tbsp, 20 cals
Rice, 150 cals
Butter, 3g, 24 cals
Broccoli 90 cals
Salad w/Ranch Dressing 380 cals
Hard-Boiled egg 70 cals
Almonds, 10g, 60 cals
Pretzels, 28g, 110 cals
Fish Oil, 45 cals
Cheese, 1/2 oz, 55 cals

Total Calories--1519
Water--1.5 Liters

Exercise--15K steps

I bought a bag of pretzels, which was probably a bad idea, but it's time to see if I can maintain some self-control and not eat the entire bag in one sitting

Also, I weighed in this morning at 215.8, a full pound lighter than yesterday. A day late, but better late than never.

Don't you already know whether you are good at self control?

I'm a salt addict. It's tough for me to eat one serving of pretzels, or anything salty. On the other hand, I can bring sweets into the house and eat them sparingly. A carton of ice cream, for example, can last a long time.

For me, abstinence is much easier than moderation. Quitting smoking was relatively easy, you just abstain, permanently. Moderating food intake daily is much tougher IMHO. So, I can live without pretzels or potato chips, but I'd like to be able to eat them on occasion and not consume the entire bag in one sitting, which is what I have been doing for years. It's a bad habit I'd like to break.

Yes, I already know, I'm terrible at self-control.

I would also like to grow the ability to moderate instead of abstain. It sounds pleasant.

Thursday 10/22 Food Log

Oatmeal 270 cals
93% Lean Ground Beef, 8 oz, 340 cals
Rice, ~200g, 300 cals
Broccoli, 110 cals
Gravy 160 cals
Salad w/tuna, ranch dressing 150 cals
Pretzels, 42g, 155 cals
Fish Oil 45 cals

Total Calories--1530
Water--1.5 Liters

17K Steps

Friday 10/23 Food Log

Oatmeal 270 cals
Turkey Breakfast Sausage, 4 oz, 180 cals
Hard-Boiled Egg 70 cals
Broccoli 30 cals
Dirty Rice 690 cals
Pretzels, 70g, 275 cals
Fish Oil 45 cals

Total Calories--1560
Water--2 Liters

Exercise--13K steps, bike ride 30 min/3.90 miles