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David's Diet Blog (Read from Bottom to Top)

Year 2005




Friday, December 30, 2005

I limited the "damage" of the holiday eating to two pounds, but that was mostly because I have been working hard to get back on my David Diet in the aftermath of the festivities. Of course, many would argue we are still in the midst of them, and once again, I will try to restrain myself during the New Year's holiday as much as is practicable. (Yes, that actually is a word!) We'll talk about "New Year's Resolutions" next week...


Wednesday, December 21, 2005

I deleted the treadmill exercise for the most recent week, because to be honest, I didn't do it due to a hectic schedule. Shame on me. But I still lost a pound and landed within my target range ahead of the holidays. Shhh! Don't tell anybody it's possible to lose weight on the David Diet without exercising. Actually, it's not that much of a secret, as you will note if you have been following my blog since earlier this year. So, why bother with the exercise? Because it is good for so many reasons, it is something which should be done even if the goal is not to lose weight. The "real" reason my David Diet is successful is because I don't keep extra food in the house. Put another way, if there are no temptations (such as buttered popcorn, ice cream, cookies, etc.) in the pantry, there's no way to "cheat." And no locks are required for the kitchen cabinets, because as the nursery rhyme goes, the cupboard is bare. And that suits me just fine. Because it is never easy to lose weight, I am going to limit my eating during Christmas and the rest of the holiday season, so that I don't gain back much of the weight between now and New Year's. "Steady as she goes" is the best method to achieve success.


Tuesday, December 13, 2005

As usual, this is a slow process, with a "hang back" tendency on the part of the fat molecules to fall away, but if one sticks to the David Diet, it often happens rather suddenly, as you will note from reading previous blog entries. Colder winter weather will aid in the goal to shed pounds, because it takes more energy to stay warm, particularly when the house thermostat is lowered to keep heating bills from spiraling out of control. Last winter, I actually lost weight while sleeping in a cooler room. You gotta use every trick in the book!


Monday, December 5, 2005

I rapidly noticed the results of the change back to the standard David Diet, not so much in terms of the weight reduction of two pounds but rather in the fact I felt trimmer when I looked down at my tummy. And I experienced the same laxative effect of the additional roughage intake within two days and again three days later, as described in the main David Diet section of this website. Clearly, this also contributed to the weight reduction. My goal is to achieve a weight of between 132-134 pounds prior to the arrival of Christmas. But it will require dedication to the Diet, with the usual rewards of Ghirardelli chocolate chips after dinner, the fish dinner once a week, the pancakes on Sunday morning and the two other "real" (egg) breakfasts on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.


Monday, November 28, 2005

Fortunately, the Thanksgiving turkey (dark meat) along with the gravy, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts in butter with walnuts, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce and homemade applesauce plus hot buns and a chocolate & whipped cream dessert did not push my weight higher. I have no idea why not, particularly since I didn't exercise for six days. But I had already made up my mind that 138lb was not making me happy and I needed to get back down to my 128-132 target area. So, I reverted to the "real" David Diet starting today, with the oatmeal breakfast and the salad-based dinner. This consists of half a head of iceberg lettuce, a can of low sodium spinach, seven large olives, three slices of thin cut lean ham, one tomato and a modest portion of homemade Italian dressing using olive oil, red vinegar and some seasoning. I'm going to use this diet for the current four week period and see where I land, in conjunction with the resumption of my half hour of daily treadmill walking. As mentioned in the main David Diet pages, there are variations in the daily food selection, but the above description covers the basics.


Friday, November 18, 2005

I took the speed up a tenth of a mile an hour (to 3.1 from 3.0) and noticed a slight increase in perspiration but no weight reduction benefit. In fact, I gained a pound after five continuous days of treadmill use preceded by a day off after having climbed up Mt. Snow, the local winter ski mountain with a moderately gradual slope, last Saturday. The good news is that the four hour round trip to the top and back showed I was in good cardiovascular shape. Now that Thanksgiving week is upon us, all bets are off. I'll try to be reasonably "good" about my diet, but I am not going to be at all surprised if I hit 140lb by the next update. Then, it'll be time to get "serious" which means doing the "real" David Diet to get my weight down--just in time for the holiday dinners. This is indeed a never ending "battle!"


Friday, November 11, 2005

I'm more or less "maintaining" at the present time, but sense that I actually still have an upward "creep" risk. I did four hours of yard work last Saturday (raking leaves) and took the day off from physical activity on Sunday. Starting Monday and continuing through this morning, I did five half-hour sessions on the treadmill at the speed, elevation and duration increments detailed above. Therefore, I am going to increase the speed over the course of the next few weeks at one-tenth mile per hour per week and continue to maintain a six day a week exercise schedule. With Thanksgiving coming up, I am going to need to remain disciplined!


Friday, November 4, 2005

I boosted the elevation to "9" on a scale of "10" and also ratcheted up my exercise routine to five times during the seven day period, which was an increase from the previous three to four times a week. Sometimes, I did it in the evening, but more often in the morning when I had more energy and was "in the mood." I even did the unthinkable: I consumed a DiGiorno full size "Supreme" pizza in two separate meals and also did a crockpot dinner utilizing 1.5 pounds of lean stew meat, three red potatoes and a small bag of fresh carrots, plus a can of brown gravy. I ate that on two different days and still held the 136lbs thanks to the five exercise sessions. But I wouldn't try that again, because the cumulative effect might kick in and pull my weight higher. In fact, at one point during the week, I did hit 139lb before coming back down again. So, I will not be eating pizza again anytime soon! But the point is that you can do it on rare occasion if you have the discipline to do the "right thing" the rest of the time and keep up with the exercising, once you have stabilized at your target weight. This diet is not about torture. It is about success.


Thursday, October 27, 2005

I've been able to hold my current weight for almost two weeks, but I have not been able to increase the exercise frequency above once every other day due to a hectic schedule. The methods described below to assist in this effort such as living in a cooler environment were not hard to accomplish, since the first Nor'Easter snow storm of the season blew into the area in recent days and the high temperature was frequently only a piddling 35F. I'll try to "get with the (daily treadmill) program" in the week ahead.


Friday, October 14, 2005

I lost three pounds this past week for three reasons. First, I continued exercising on the treadmill every other day. Second, I allowed the interior house temperature to sink to 60 degrees overnight, which forced me to burn more calories to stay warm. Third, I began eating breakfast standing up, which has been shown to burn more calories than sitting down. I do keep my home office at between 65 and 70 degrees by virtue of the heat emanating from my computer equipment, and I do not shiver. When cold, I put on more clothing layers to stay warm and wear sweats and wool socks to bed. How sexy! (Yeah, right...) In the upcoming week, I shall increase the treadmill exercise to six days a week for a cumulative three hours of weekly walking. A new study in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows this frequency and duration of treadmill "brisk" walking exercise is optimal for weight stability which is my goal, having completed the "weight loss" phase via the David Diet as described in the main section of this website. The study showed it is possible to lose 7% of abdominal fat over a period of half a year by walking 20 miles a week, and as my cardiovascular fitness increases, I will increase my speed but not to that level, since it is more important to prevent a knee injury than to go like a speed demon.


Friday, October 7, 2005

I went back to walking on the treadmill this week, but I decided to do it every other day rather than every day to give my legs time to come back up to speed. No point in starting full throttle and developing a knee injury. Therefore, I saw no weight benefit. In fact, I gained a pound, which may have been the result of conversion of some body fat to muscle. I will continue on the same routine during the coming week, and see if I stabilize or if my weight continues to rise. If it breaks above 140, I am going to switch back toward a stricter David Diet routine. The good news is that I am not worried. I know I can get back down to under 130 pounds if I wish to do so. This is the "fine tuning" phase.


Friday, September 30, 2005

Whoops! I'm starting to see an insidious "upward creep" in weight which is pulling me well away from my previously declared 128-132 pound target. This is what happens to most people. They get down to their goal and then watch as the improvement evaporates. In my case, this was due to reverting to a more typical "American" diet from my strict "David Diet" and now comes the time to try some alterations to see if they work. I'm going to resume treadmill exercise tomorrow and see if that has any impact. At first, I don't expect much, because I'm going to start slowly, at twenty minutes per day at three miles an hour, to rebuild my fitness level. I'll keep you posted!


Friday, September 23, 2005

I spent the most recent week regaining my "circadian rhythm" after being on the other side of the planet. So, I'm still getting my weight situation back into a groove. Was that a great excuse or what? (*Laugh*)


Thursday, September 15, 2005

What have I been doing since my last update? As you can see from my three pound weight gain, I've been shamelessly breaking my David Diet courtesy of a cruise ship. You know the drill: three full meals a day with multiple courses plus two desserts because I never could settle on just one among the various options. Now that I'm back in a regular routine, I've dropped the "extra" meal and have returned to the most recent diet regimen described in the August 18th entry below. I probably rose toward 139 pounds but didn't have ready access to a digital scale on the ship nor the inclination to find one. And due to the hectic travel from the ship back home, I lost several pounds before mounting the scale again!


Thursday, September 1, 2005

I'm back down a pound which means I've been essentially "steady" in weight using the revised diet detailed under August 18th below without exercise. This is another way of saying that after you have completed the reduction phase of The David Diet, you can maintain the lower weight for an extended period without eating like a rabbit. You may be able to consume a more traditional selection of foods without reverting to your former shape. However, a key is not to indulge in cakes, cookies and ice cream. Discipline is required, particularly if you are unable to exercise, as is presently my situation.


Thursday, August 25, 2005

I only gained a pound in the past week on my revised meal plan sans exercise. If you're wondering how I can "last" from one meal to the next without eating, the answer is my "secret weapon" of Cool Mint Ice Breakers sugar free chewing gum made by Hershey and sold in eight-packs at supermarkets and pharmacies nationwide. The lowest price is at Wal-Mart, where I pick them up for $1.50 each. Forty sticks for $1.50 is not bad (3.75 cents each), considering a stick of sugared gum cost a penny per stick in 1960. That makes chewing gum, which doesn't cause tooth decay, one of the best deals around. In fact, sugarless chewing gum reportedly has been shown to help reduce the risk a tooth decay, and it also solves the food craving problem for me because there are five calories in each stick.


Thursday, August 18, 2005

I know this will be a bit "hard to swallow" (pun intended), but the truth based on my digital scale is that I lost three pounds in the past week, despite the fact I am not exercising and actually had to modify my diet to protect my stomach from the anti-inflammatory medication I was taking. So, how did this occur? All I can do is give you an updated recitation of my current diet, keeping in mind that the breakfast content varies a bit and the dinner menu is now more flexible. I'll explain more about that after the description:

Late Breakfast: 625 Calories

Dinner: 1110 Calories

Ulimately, it all comes down to the calorie count. In fact, it is sometimes lower on the "American-style" Dinner menu than on the "Mediterranean-style" (salad-based) Dinner menu. I'd say that given the occasional use of mayonnaise for the fish dishes or sauce for the spaghetti, it's basically a wash and explains why the intake shift has not adversely impacted my ability to lose weight. The reason for the original David Diet method of using large salads is because it resolves the "volume" craving, in which size of intake matters. Once you are no longer starving, you are in a better psychological position to eat smaller portions. After all, the start/stop eating urges are brain-based.

As for the variance in the breakfast menu, it's Oatmeal on Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri and sometimes I use Cream of Wheat instead, which actually has fewer calories. On Wednesday and Saturday, I have a two medium sized egg breakfast with toast & jam. On Sunday, it's the no egg pancakes made with with reduced fat Bisquick and 0.5% milk cooked on a pan in olive oil. Maple syrup or equivalent and butter plus occasional fruit toppings are added prior to consumption. It's my reward for being able to stick to my target of 128-132 pounds, even when adversity strikes!


Thursday, August 11, 2005

A bit too much of a "rough & tumble" life is finally giving me a pain in the neck (literally) and I had to start taking some anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate the situation. That meant changing the nature of my dinner to more "American-style" content (meat and potatoes) from the Mediterranean-style (salads) in order to protect my stomach from the medicine while also aiding in its absorption into my system. And naturally, I had to get off the treadmill to avoid any unnecessary bouncing around in my cervical spine. Such is life. So, now I get to find out how a mix of my David Diet with more traditional fare will fare!


Wednesday, August 3, 2005

A number of studies have shown that "fidgeting" can help a person lose weight. This involves such activities as chewing gum (a key part of the David Diet) or wiggling one's foot while at the desk (it's a shame we don't have tails!) or moving around a lot during the work day, such as frequently leaving the desk to make photocopies, etc. Many of us tend to "bunch up" our away-from-the-desk tasks to operate more efficiently, but it may make sense to purposely do each task separately, in order to increase the activity level. In a home situation, this would involve going from the upstairs area to the basement to retrieve an item, and then a half hour later, making the same trip for another item, rather than planning ahead and obtaining both items at the same time. The calorie burn will be twice as high. Some folks have even resorted to setting up their laptop computer on a treadmill to burn calories while they work. Studies have shown such tactics are successful as weight reduction techniques, although the treadmill idea can introduce safety risks not to mention muscular and skeletal stress of the bad sort. But the bottom line is to keep moving as much as possible, to burn off those calories from your last meal.


Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Did you see the news report the other day that weight is becoming a national security issue? The Pentagon says 18% of men and 43% of women are not eligible for military service due to being too heavy. And the average qualified recruit weights 37 pounds more than during the Civil War. Admittedly, that was over 140 years ago, but people are still people. In 2003, over three thousand folks already in the military were forced out of service for being overweight. My theory is that food, and particularly the processed variety, is too readily available, and we've also made eating a social event, rather than something we do to stay alive. If you think of yourself as being more of a 19th Century person, who perceived eating as a specific time of the day to refuel for survival, rather than eating as a continuous casual endeavor around the clock, you may have more success in avoiding the addition of unwanted pounds and may actually make progress in losing a few of the pounds you've added over the years.


Wednesday, July 20, 2005

That was quick. I returned to The David Diet and I lost two pounds and am once again in my "comfort zone" between 128lb and 132lb. It's a great feeling to be "in control" so that if you do cheat on occasion, it is not a major concern, so long as you get back on track quickly.


Monday, July 18, 2005

Yes, I really did gain five pounds in a week. For shame! And it wasn't even my fault! Okay, so it was my fault. My "sin" was hosting a dinner for some friends. I selected a 5.75lb prime rib roast (Ribs 1 through 3) as the main dish, with baked potatoes, sour cream & butter, a brocolli dish with cheddar cheese, garlic bread on the side and maple-walnut ice cream with licor de cafe as the dessert. The problem is that I had lots of leftovers, including the box of Pepperidge Farm crackers and the garlic cheese. So, for the rest of the week, I totally pigged out every night, and the exercise didn't "save" me from my inevitable fate. I prefer to think of it as "practice" for my next cruise ship journey later this year. Now, it's time to lose the extra pounds. *sigh*


Monday, July 11, 2005

I increased the speed on the treadmill to 3.3 miles per hour during the second half of the week as indicated above and lost a pound in the process. I am now one pound above my minimum target, which is in a range from 128 to 132 pounds. I am also doing 30 arm curls using a 6.6 pound weight in each hand while standing in front of the mirror. I slowly raise each one from my respective thigh to my chest and slowly lower each one again simultanously, without rocking back and forth. This forces the arm muscles to do the work. I am also doing thirty slow pushups (knees down) prior to the treadmill workout to build upper body strength. The treadmill works up a good sweat and makes it imperative to take a relaxing shower.


Monday, July 4, 2005

I increased the speed on the treadmill to 3.0 miles per hour during the second half of the week and the elevation to the maximum and my heart rate is well below the maximum of 143 (220 minus your age and then 70% to 85% of that figure depending upon your condition after consulting with your medical doctor prior to commencement of an exercise program) and I am at the lower end of that range right now as I build up my cardiovascular fitness once again. I am also paying attention to my recovery rate after exercise (the time it takes for my heart rate to return to normal) and it is coming back down noticeably within the first ten minutes after I complete the exercise and then continues lower from that point to a resting heart rate of between 52 and 60 beats per minute depending upon my stress level. New studies released over the past month indicate there is a much closer relationship between your mind and your heart rate. For instance, laughter for twenty minutes is shown to significantly improve blood flow by opening the arteries wider, while watching an upsetting movie can narrow your arteries (University of Maryland research). A Vanderbilt University study shows laughter for 10-15 minutes per day can burn between 10 and 40 calories. And certain anti-depression medications have been shown to reduce the potential for a repeat heart attack, according to Stanford University researchers as reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry.


Monday, June 27, 2005

I shifted late in the week to 3.0 miles an hour at an elevation of 8 on a scale of 10 for a period of 30 minutes and will maintain that mark through the new week. At a gathering over the weekend, I was asked about my David Diet and the conversation helped to clarify what made sense to the folks with whom I was conversing. The number one comment was that rewards for diet success are key. Therefore, the idea of having a "big" fish dinner once a week, or chocolate as a desert, or an egg breakfast on Wednesday or pancakes on Sunday because one has lost weight or held steady after losing weight are essential to continued success. The other mental "trigger" which helped the diet make sense was the idea of getting back to one's former weight when one was in their early twenties. So, if a woman was a full figured 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 120lb at age twenty-two, or was a man of solid build at 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 185 at age twenty-three, and these weights felt "right" to these individuals at that time, then these previous weights could easily become the target to which they might wish to return, rather than the current 140lb or current 225lb. The concept can also be expressed in terms of dress size or trouser size. I am not trying to get back to the 28 waist from my teens. I am perfectly happy at a 32 waist from my mid-twenties. My minimum safe weight might permit a 30 waist (at 122lb) but that would not feel "right" because I would be too skinny. Again, it's important not to think of an exact number, but rather a range on both the high and low side. As you've noticed, I've been holding in a 128 to 132 range recently, and am going to test the lower end as I maintain the same David Diet components and resume adding the exercise to it. When I hit 128 again, I will see how much I can add to the food intake to stay in the 128-132 range over a period of weeks. Of course, if the exercise results in increased muscle mass in the legs, I might already be in a "steady state," in which case I will operate within the established David Diet parameters. And that's the reason for this blog, to keep you updated on my David Diet experience in real time.


Sunday, June 19, 2005

Exercise continued at the same relatively slow pace as the previous week, but at 2.5 miles an hour instead of 2.0 miles an hour. I am continuing to limit the duration to twenty minutes. Weight downshifted one pound which is statistically insignificant as the fluctuation simply from breathing is one to two pounds in either direction. I remain in the target range between 128 and 132 pounds as measured by my digital scale.


Sunday, June 12, 2005

I am slowly beginning to get back into an exercise routine, with a scant twenty minutes a day at two miles an hour at an elevation of 5 (on a scale of 10). However, as sometimes occurs, my weight went up two pounds rather than remaining steady (or dropping) with the re-introduction of the exercise. That's why I prefer to operate in a weight "band" between 128 and 132, since there are many variables which can affect the actual reading on any given day.


Sunday, June 5, 2005

Wasn't it Will Rogers who said he "never met a cookie I didn't like?" Okay, so maybe he was talking about his fellow man, but when I hit a fresh low of 128 pounds last Sunday, I went in search of a large homemade Nestle semi-sweet chocolate cookie baked with genuine creamery butter. I ate it slowly, savoring every bite, and voila! I was back to 129 pounds! That was easy. And now that I am back in good repair (sciatic nerve wise), it's time to get back on the treadmill. I'm going to take it slowly at first, at perhaps twenty minutes a day at reduced speed. In the meantime, I will eat the same amount I've been eating recently, and make sure I stay at the lower end of the band from 128 to 132 pounds. I'll provide an update here on June 12th and we'll eventually find out the correct balance between diet and exercise, at least insofar as my weight program is concerned.


Sunday, May 29, 2005

Yard work will do it every time. I was raking the earth and pulling up weeds to plant grass for over six hours this weekend, and the result was a drop of two pounds thanks to The David Diet and the exercise. For the first time, I am now at the lower end of my four pound target range.


Friday, May 27, 2005

Without intentionally doing it, I've proven that my current rendition of The David Diet can maintain a narrow range of weight without exercise. Simply eating a two serving portion of Old Fashioned Quaker Oatmeal (or the occasional two serving portion of Nabisco Cream of Wheat) late in the morning with a 16oz glass of half prune and half orange juice plus my lettuce-turkey-tomato-spinach-olives-olive oil & vinegar dressing + wine (over Age 21) & homemade tea + Ghirardelli Double Dark chocolate chips does the trick. And as indicated below, I do egg breakfasts twice a week and pancakes on Sunday with fish for dinner, so it's not that boring of a David Diet. I am going to resume treadmill exercise on Monday, June 6th as my damaged-from-a-February-fall-on-ice sciatic nerve is now healed. After a meteorological close call this past week, it now appears winter may truly be over for the next four (!) months. Living in the Northeast is such an experience, but then the same can be said regarding just about any part of the country, given recent weather patterns.


Friday, May 20, 2005

I got lucky last Friday and arrived at the supermarket just as all the produce department leftovers were being placed on the "discount" rack. I picked up a bunch of ripe tomatoes and lots of brocolli, but my big catch was a pound of fresh bagged spinach. I ate half the pound one night, and the other half the next night (mixed into my salad) and ka-boom! I was down two pounds. That's why spinach is a big feature of The David Diet as described in detail on the main pages of this website.

Friday, May 13, 2005

I am seeing a small amount of weight creep to the upside, now being up two pounds in two weeks, but that's precisely why I went to 129lb--to provide a cushion for normal fluctuation. If I hit 132lb, that will be my signal that an adjustment in caloric intake is needed to avoid rising higher. As you know, I have been holding myself in weight stability without exercise due to a pinched sciatic nerve, and that demonstrates the power of The David Diet, along with determination on my part to avoid a return to a higher weight level through discipline. I am making good progress on the healing of the nerve and expect to be back on the treadmill by the end of the month. I just want to make sure I am in solid shape, so as to avoid re-injury. Better to be safe than sorry. Patience is a virtue.

Friday, May 6, 2005

Okay, I was "bad" this week. I sinned, as one of my close relatives used to say. I wrote recently in this blog that I had a dream about a charbroiled hamburger. Well, I lived My dream last night. When I saw that beautiful deep reddish/pink package of ground beef at the supermarket last weekend, it had my name "written" all over it. It was calling to me, urging me to snatch it away before someone else could be in possession of such a beautiful piece of meat. It had been marked as one of those "lowly" 75% lean packages for $2.29/lb. But I knew better. It was the "good" stuff, right up there at 90% or higher. I'll tell you something else. I sinned more than once. It was a .88lb package. As soon as I got home, I cut it in half and froze both in zip lock bags because I was having my Sunday fish dinner that evening. But on Monday, I cooked up that first half on my George Foreman grill, and there weren't more than a few drops of fat in the tray when the cooking was completed. I lathered Hellmann's (Best Foods) Real Mayonnaise onto two large slices of Trader Joe's sliced San Francisco sourdough french bread and I didn't bother measuring how much I was using. I was SO bad. I cut the 'burger in half as well as each slice of bread so I could double my pleasure. And then I poured on the Heinz ketchup and with a plate of lettuce and a sliced tomato on the side, I shamelessly consumed both halves in an orgy of delight. Damn, that was good! And then I did it all over again on Thursday night, which is why I'm a pound heavier today. It was worth it. But now, it's time for repentance. I promise I'll be good. Honest.


Friday, April 29, 2005

As mentioned below, I do vary my diet on a scheduled basis to prevent it from becoming monotonous. Here's my Sunday "911" (calories) breakfast menu:

Sunday Brunch: 911 Calories

It's a nice reward for having held my weight all week, or when exercising, having lost some more weight. And those three "crepe-like" pancakes are delicious.


Friday, April 22, 2005

Once again, my body has adjusted to the reduced calories and is merely becoming a more efficient "engine," which is preventing me from achieving the lower limit of 128lb. It's another example of why exercise is so important. While I have not been able to resume treadmill exercise because the sciatic nerve is still not completely healed from my February 20th tumble on the ice, I was very busy doing lots of yard work during the past seven day period and it was good to be outside and active after a long winter. However, it was not enough to burn the necessary calories to actually lose weight, so I am basically working with my current version of the David Diet and being careful not to gain weight. I've been flucuating between 129 and 131, so I'm in the "zone." I would like that zone to have a downside of 128 so I could occasionally "cheat" and eat butter-flavored popcorn or an oatmeal cookie (I dreamed last night about a char-broiled hamburger!) but in order to enjoy some of those items, I need to be back into the exercise component. Hopefully, that will happen soon, but one has to "listen" to one's body and not be too hasty. Time will resolve the recovery issue.


Friday, April 15, 2005

A word about chocolate, which I use as my "reward" for doing well on the David Diet. Recently, I ran out of my Ghirardelli "Double Dark" (Bittersweet) chocolate chips and had to temporarily substitute a generic brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I quickly found this was not a good idea, because the amount of sugar in semi-sweet chocolate causes more to be consumed. Put another way, if you were to bite into a bar of unsweetened chocolate, you would instantly figure out that you would not be able to eat any meaningful quantity, because it is way too bitter. To a lesser extent, the same is true of Bittersweet chocolate because it is at least 50% unsweetened chocolate, with sugar as the second listed ingredient. By contrast, semi-sweet chocolate is closer to only 35% unsweetened chocolate, which means it has more sugar content. Therefore, most people will find their appetite for Bittersweet chocolate fading more rapidly than in the case of semi-sweet chocolate. The bottom line is that Bittersweet chocolate has a "self-limiting" characteristic which reduces the risk of binging. This is a good thing, if you are on a diet.


Friday, April 8, 2005

I'm holding steady in the middle of the range between 128 and 132. In the wake of the news regarding ABC News Anchor Peter Jenning's lung cancer, there were medical professionals on the various cable news channels touting the anti-oxidant (cancer fighting) benefits of green tea, dark chocolate, red wine and dark green vegetables, all of which are part of the David Diet. There's also now talk about White Tea, which has shown up on grocer's shelves, and I'm going to be trying that out as well the next time I do a major food shopping run.


Friday, April 1, 2005

Yes, I am going to stop at 128 and then operate in a band between 128 and 132. I believe a four pound swing is realistic to take into account normal bodily fluctuations. I've been able to continue reducing the weight slowly without exercise based on the limitations on caloric intake described below. I hope to resume exercising by the middle of this month, which will make possible modestly higher food consumption.


Monday, March 28, 2005

Here's another "change of pace" as a once-in-a-while substitute for the nightly salad. It's the turkey sandwich alternative. The turkey typically comes pre-packaged in a half-pound 8 slice unit which means one ounce per slice at 25 calories. Two slices is two ounces at 50 calories, with 2 slices of full-size bread at 240 calories and one tablespoon (maximum) of Hellmann's (Real Foods) Mayonnaise at 90 calories and sixteen Triscuits at 130 calories for a total of 510 calories. And with a 16oz glass of homemade tea without sugar at zero calories plus wine (legal drinking age only) at 100 calories, you are at 610 calories total which is a very satisfying occasional alternative. If you throw in a 14oz. can of Del Monte French Cut green beans, you are looking at another 70 calories which gets you your veggies with a very modest increase in caloric intake to 680 calories. (Just do NOT add melted cheddar cheese!) I went up a pound this week due to normal weight fluctuation.


Monday, March 21, 2005

Twice a week, I take a break from the oatmeal breakfast. On Sundays, I have the pancakes described in the main David Diet description, and once a week, usually on Wednesday, I have a one egg breakfast. This involves a soft boiled, scrambled, fried or plain omelet large egg at 75 calories, two slices of Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse 12 Grain bread at 240 calories, two pats of butter at 100 calories, one tablespoon of Smucker's strawberry jam at 50 calories, three cups of Folger's Classic Decaf medium roast coffee (prepared in a Bunn Coffee Maker) with light cream at 30 calories and my usual 16oz. juice mix (prune, orange and grapefruit) at 275 calories. Total it all up and the breakfast contains 770 calories, which is 95 calories higher than the oatmeal breakfast described under March 14th below. That's not much of a difference, but it is psychologically important to vary the diet from time to time, partially as a reward for sticking to it!


Wednesday, March 16, 2005

My reduced calorie intake as described in the previous update has now resulted in a digital weight of 130 pounds, and I have noticed a matching reduction in waist circumference, despite the lack of exercise.


Monday, March 14, 2005

In light of the fact I can no longer exercise, my only recourse has been to more stringently watch the calories. In so doing, I was able to lose another pound by Saturday of this past week. I am starting to see a noticeable difference in my "tummy" area. It is definitely becoming more lean, particularly when lying down. When I ran out of my salad fixings on Thursday night, and with the snow falling, I grabbed a can of Campbell's Chunky New England Clam Chowder and slow cooked it until it was steaming hot. I added 10 Nabisco Original Premium Saltine Crackers as my "side" and the result was a 600 calorie dinner which was yummy and a nice break from the usual fare. The next night, I had my once-a-week fish dinner of half a pound of fresh cod (microwaved) with half a cup of rice, which resulted in approximately 450 calories. I threw in two tablespoons of butter (200 calories) and one and a half tablespoons of mayonnaise (135 calories) for a 785 calorie treat, which is still less than my salad when I use a considerable amount of olive oil & vinegar dressing. The next morning is when I weighed 131lb. My point is that this is all about calories, and it is important to eat fish once a week for balanced nutrition. In the mornings, I have been generally sticking to oatmeal (no pun intended) which is running 400 calories for the one cup version with a cup of low fat milk. I am using 2 2/3rds cups of water and I cook it for fifteen minutes to get it lumpy in the true "old fashioned" tradition. The extra water also adds to the size of the portion without adding any extra calories. The 8oz of prune juice at 170 calories combined with the 4oz of orange juice and 4oz of grapefruit juice at another 105 calories makes for a solid 675 calorie mid-day meal. The salads are now running at about 800 calories with reduced dressing, so total caloric consumption is at 1500 calories or less per day. This is below the roughly 1900 calories per day I was eating, and therefore is the reduction I would have received from 400 calories of exercise per day. That's why I am still gradually losing weight!


Monday, March 7, 2005

Exercise has halted for the time being. I fell on the ice which was hiding under the snow and pinched the sciatic nerve in my rear, so I will be out of commission for several weeks. However, I've held the improvement to 132 pounds and decided to take my waist measurement standing up straight this morning (instead of slouching) but without holding my breath, and the result is a very respectable 32 inches. If I slouch, it expands to 32.625 inches (for "full disclosure" purposes). In order to counter-act the loss of the exercise and its ability to reduce calories, I have tightly restricted the amount of olive oil & vinegar dressing in my nightly salad. We'll see how this works to hold my weight in place until I can get on the treadmill again.


Friday, March 4, 2005

I made it! And as usual, I weighed myself twice in a row to make sure it was actually true, using the same digital readout scale (to prevent cheating) which I had been using since the start of my journey to being slim and trim. I am now at the target I had set for myself, but I'm not entirely comfortable with the fact it will stay here. So, I am going to continue my David Diet reduction phase a bit longer, to get down to 130 pounds over the course of the next few weeks, and then I may let it float upwards to 132 and work within the 130-132 band. I don't ever want to see 133 again after I stabilize. Of course, the next "problem" will be to avoid being tempted to re-visit the 120s, where I ventured the last time I did my own diet. Of course, if someone waves an oatmeal/raisin or chocolate chip cookie in my direction, it should "solve" that problem! I went to the supermarket to pick up more lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes and decided to switch to 98% fat free ham for my salads in the days ahead. They are 30 calories per slice, which is still very reasonable. This is all about exercise and calorie counting. Next update on Monday!


Monday, February 28, 2005

Since Olive Oil is the number one calorie machine in the diet, it's time to take a closer look at this component. As it says on the can, one tablespoon (half an ounce) is 200 calories. The standard mixing bottle for oil & vinegar dressing is 1/3rd cup vinegar-water and 2/3rds cup of oil. Since we know there are 16 tablespoons to a cup, that means there are 10.6 tablespoons of oil in that mixing container. The result is that we are working with 2120 calories per fully mixed container of oil & vinegar dressing, not including the seasoning, which adds another 20 calories. Once we know we have 2140 calories at our disposal, it becomes easier to regulate the diet. If we are in the weight reduction phase, we can simply reduce the amount of salad dressing utilized. This past week, I used 1/5th of a bottle per dinner, which means I dropped from approximately 855 calories as listed below to 428 calories. Now, I'm at 1478 calories per day, which is below the food pyramid level of 1650. This is what I need to offset my body's increased efficiency and reduced calorie burn rate. Assuming the arithmetic works, I should lose that pesky extra pound by the time of my next update!


Monday, February 21, 2005

My focus during the past six days was to hold on to the improvement in weight reduction. The government's Food Pyramid works out to between 1650 and 2750 calories per day, depending on the exact foods you eat. The below diet is at 1905 calories, which is in the lower middle area. Here's my current menu:

Late Breakfast: 625 Calories

Dinner: 1280 Calories


Tuesday, February 15, 2005

As surmised below, based upon previous experience, the pounds tend to fall off in a clump, and today, I lost the other one of a "three pound" set, and am now within one pound of my goal. This is clearly a case of having reduced the caloric intake as detailed in the previous two entries. Patience and persistence are virtues!


Monday, February 14, 2005

Happy Valentine's Day--from what just transpired (a loss of two pounds during the week for a new low of 134 pounds), the "original" David Diet is confirming itself as the best way to lose weight. I am using oatmeal for breakfast to reduce sugar consumption and three slices of pre-packaged turkey (from the 16oz package) in my evening salad to better control the portions, as detailed in my previous entry last week. And instead of a 16 ounce glass of a combination of 2 ounces of 19% alcohol port wine, 7 ounces of cranberry juice and 7 ounces of grape juice, I've been consuming a 6 ounce large wine glass of Almaden White Zinfandel (10.5% alcohol) and this week will switch to Livingston Cellars Red Rose at 9.5% alcohol due to its higher red wine content which studies have shown to be good for your heart. The Almaden was $4.99 on sale in the 1.5 liter bottle and the Livingston was on sale at $9.99 in the 3.0 liter bottle, which means they are very affordably priced and the equivalent of $2.49 for a standard 750ml wine bottle. The net reduction in calories is approximately 300, which is about what I eat for breakfast when I consume Cream of Wheat on occasion. Since this is all about calories and exercise, you can readily see why I was able to lose two pounds and get under the key sticking point of 135 in the most recent week by reducing the meat and sugar. Only two more pounds to go!


Monday, February 7, 2005

Last week, I separated the Autumn blog from the Winter blog, to speed the load time on the current one. And yes, I defined Autumn as ending on December 27th which is six days into Winter but I try to look at the sunny side. Anyway, when I split it off and put the Autumn blog link at the bottom of the home page, I noticed how much of a difference in weight has transpired since I started the Summer blog in August. It's been quite a drop but nothing like those advertised on television. That's because I was already within the general vicinity of what constitutes "average" weight for my height, without a major amount of extra fat and an already reasonably disciplined lifestyle. But I can see that I have more work to do, and as I get closer to that objective which is a tantalizing four pounds away, it becomes akin to reaching for the brass ring at the merry-go-round. It's so close but just out of reach. But I'm going to make it, and then I'm going to demonstrate that it is possible to stay in the same spot. However, as noted above, I had a one pound setback in the most recent week. Therefore, I am going to make two modifications to my diet. The first, will be the use of packaged store brand sliced turkey instead of home baked turkey, chicken or pork to better control the exact amount consumed. The second will be to use Quaker Oatmeal instead of Raisin Bran to eliminate the sugar which is in the boxed cereal. In other words, I'm going to return to the "original" David Diet formula to resume making progress toward a lower weight level.


Monday, January 31, 2005

Did you see that report on the CBS Evening News last Friday about newly published research in the journal "Science" about how you can lose another 350 calories each day, which is about the total of my Cream of Wheat breakfast? According to a Mayo Clinic professor of medicine who led the study, all you have to do is spend more time standing up during the day instead of sitting in your chair. The extra calorie burn over the course of a year is worth ten pounds of body fat. Maybe that's why I'm on the lean side. I never sit to watch television in the living room. I keep a 9 inch television on the counter in the corner of the kitchen and turn it on while I'm preparing my meal. There have been times when I have eaten standing up at the kitchen counter while watching the news, and that might be an excellent idea if you are in reasonably good shape. The scientists say the simple act of standing *doubles* your metabolic rate!

What I found out during the most recent week of treadmill exercise is that my body continues to adjust to my lower food intake and regular exercise. I tried skiing yesterday for the first time in six years and while that was great for burning calories, it was also building heavier thigh muscles I didn't remember I possessed, and when I slipped on a patch of ice, it was a bit challenging this morning to do my one hour on the treadmill without thinking about that big bruise on my buttocks. So, perhaps it would be safer to stay off the slopes, at least until there is another big snow storm in these here parts.

And one more thing: I bought a turkey last week and will be working my way through the ten pounder over the next couple of days, since turkey has the lowest calorie content but is an excellent source of protein for my nightly salad.


Monday, January 24, 2005

If you're still on My diet, congratulations! Today (January 24th) is the day by which psychologists say most people have thrown their New Year's Resolutions out the window. Of course, seeing as how this winter has been rather cold and blustery in many parts of the country (to put it mildly), opening the window may be hazardous to one's health. If you are getting "tired" of Post Raisin Bran for breakfast every day, try the following, which is my occasional wintertime change of pace solution:

Cream of Wheat Breakfast

If you are of a certain age, you will remember this Cream of Wheat radio jingle from the 1950s which ended: "...Winter's dreary beat, so guard your family with soft Cream of Wheat."

Total calories above are 330 vs. 490 for Post Raisin Bran (380 plus 110 calories of milk) and you might achieve the same level of "fullness." Follow box panel directions for preparation. The trick to avoiding lumps is to pour the Cream of Wheat into the boiling water very slowly and to stir constantly.

One other important item to mention is my use of grapefruit juice in the diet, even if only in a four ounce amount daily. There are well over a dozen pharmaceuticals including prescription and over-the-counter drugs which have a negative reaction to grapefruit juice. If you are taking any medication, consult with your medical doctor before using grapefruit juice in any form. It's much safer to substitute orange juice, although orange juice may also have unwelcome drug interactions, so again, check with your physician and pharmacist first.

Finally, the local supermarket was out of bagged lettuce this past week, so I substituted a head of iceberg lettuce. The correct portion is half a head of lettuce per day, which I found out when I was preparing my evening meal.


Monday, January 17, 2005

For a change of pace, I ate lean pork this past week, derived from pork chops on sale at $1.49lb in a three pound package. I cooked them the same way as the chicken, in a Reynolds bag but for one hour at 350F for an internal temperature of 175F using the meat thermometer. It's a little bit trickier to cut away the bits of fat but a change of pace is nice. I also used broccoli for the week instead of zucchini or spinach. I could eat the broccoli raw, but find it more palatable when cooked. I made the batch all at once and then used portions from the storage container throughout the week. Starting tonight, I'm using a five pound whole chicken which I acquired on sale at 69 cents per pound. While it's a bit more cumbersome to utilize on a daily basis than boneless/skinless chicken breasts (not to mention a few more calories in the dark meat), the price was definitely right and the treadmill exercise should keep me on a stable to decreasing weight path. No change in weight this week, but I wasn't expecting one and am just glad to be holding steady as the reduction becomes more challenging at this stage, as previously detailed.


Monday, January 10, 2005

The first hint came when I stepped onto the treadmill this morning and my sweatpants were falling off my waist. I had to cinch them up by tying a new knot in the cord two inches tighter than the previous mark. When I got off the treadmill after an energetic hour and weighed myself, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so surprised that I weighed myself again, and the same answer came back: 135 pounds--a four pound drop in one week. Of course, we'd been through two major snow storms during the period, which required lots of shoveling of the walkway and the deck, thereby burning additional calories, but I am very pleased with this week's results, particularly since I took my standard one day off a week from the treadmill on Sunday. This one day off routine is considered important to give one's body a rest. So, I now only have three pounds to go to reach my 132 downside target. The hard part will be to stop at 132lb. There's something about success which makes one desire to keep going. In my original effort several years ago, I was down to 122lb before I quit the reduction phase. That lower level turned out to be my MSW (minimum safe weight) and I don't plan on doing it again, as I look a tad on the skinny side when I get that low! (Translation: when I turn sideways, I disappear from view.) I also realize that when the weight drops quickly (with the commensurate reduction in inches around the waist), one can get "stuck" at the lower level for several weeks, or even see a slight increase again. I am going to do my best to avoid the increase, but if I stabilize down here at 135 for awhile, it will merely confirm I truly lost the weight "for real," and now it's time to work on those other three pounds.


Thursday, January 6, 2005

Just a quick "extra" update, since I dropped on Tuesday to 137 from 139, and then popped up to 138 on Wednesday and am now "officially" back down to 137 again. This happens on occasion--a sudden move lower by two pounds, as the body gives up the fight to hang on to the extra calories. I've made my goal for the week in three days flat, and am now going to try and "nail" my cycle-low of 136lb by Monday!

Two brand new studies published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine say that C-reactive protein plays a significant role in heart disease and has to be lowered in order to reduce the risk. The studies, as reported on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings on 05 JAN 2005, say reducing "bad" cholesterol is only half the battle. While there are some pharmaceuticals which may assist in lowering "CRP," the studies show exercise and weight reduction are effective, and can reverse previous inflammation of the arteries including plaque buildup which can clog them and trigger a heart attack. So, once again, the need for regular exercise and weight loss are reinforced. The New York Times carried an extensive article on the studies on 06 JAN 2005 which you can find online or at your local library. See your medical doctor for a C-reactive protein blood test to determine your risk profile. Mine is less than 0.3mg per liter, with the lab saying the desired range is 0.0mg to 0.5mg.


Monday, January 3, 2005

The "vacation" is over. No more "cheating." Time to get back on track now the holidays are finished and move that weight down to the target of 132 pounds. The good news is that I remained steady during the second holiday week, at 139lb, which is still way down from the 160lb before I dropped the "water weight" to 152lb and started the hard work of reducing the "real" fat. It was a pleasant surprise this past week to find out pants which had been too tight were fitting again, so the benefits aside from those involving health are genuine. I now have no excuses not to move in a relatively straight line lower. A positive and determined attitude are required, along with the elimination of temptation, by not having any holiday excuses or extra food in the kitchen pantry which might deter one from the goal.

Since this is the start of the new year, I am going to provide my current diet breakdown again for easier reference. As I've lost weight, I've experienced a smaller appetite which has made matters less complicated. So, using the food intake listed below, I should be able to eat less than what I am burning, which is the not-so-secret formula to losing the weight I don't need.

I noted last week during afternoon treadmill exercise that it was more difficult than doing the same one hour routine in the early morning. The reason is that time passed more slowly. Therefore, I had to use music to make the time pass by more easily. I am working on a song list which I will eventually post, but for the time being, I am going to go back to the "get up and walk" routine so I can stay in beta-wave (sleepy) mode while burning off the calories. I am going to increase the treadmill speed to 3.6 miles per hour during the week to increase the calorie burn to well over 400 calories per session, thereby moving toward almost entirely offsetting breakfast calorie intake. In other words, I'll be "living" on dinner.

The only observation about the diet below is that I have switched from buying a whole chicken to buying skinless chicken breasts when they are on sale. I have found that a 3.25 pound package at $2.49 per pound costs about the same as a whole chicken at $1.49 per pound, when one considers the useable meat and the fact the breasts are lower fat white meat than a mix of white and dark meat. The breasts make meal preparation easier, since I cook them all at once in the Reynold's bag at 350 degrees in the oven for an hour to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and then put them into sealable sandwich bags for storage in the refrigerator until needed. Then, it's just a matter of cutting up one per dinner which takes only a few minutes.

As recently stated, I eat my first meal of the day near Noon by ignoring any earlier hunger pains. Unlike the "official" David Diet listed on this website, this is the "advanced" weight loss diet based on conditioning from having been on the official one from August until December when I noticed I did not require as much food to become satisfied. But I still chew between 5 and 10 sticks of Ice Breakers sugarless gum each day which satisfies my transient cravings. Note the reduction in the amount of bagged lettuce utilized and the addition of cranberry juice to the wine/grape juice mix. Technically, the cranberry juice is the "cocktail" variety, which is 27% juice, as 100% cranberry juice would make you pucker as if there were no tomorrow!

Finally, I was excited to discover today that my website using the search term David Diet (without the need for quotation marks) is now #1 on Ask.com and Teoma.com, #2 on Yahoo and the beta version of MSN as well as "AllTheWeb" and AltaVisa.com. It is #3 on Excite and #4 on Hotbot, Lycos and the regular MSN.com. If you benefit from my David Diet, spread the word and maybe Google will start listing me higher up its search results based on good old fashioned popularity. More people are visiting every month, and I appreciate your interest!

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