One perfect day down...

Today was my first day as a vegetarian. And to be honest, this shit is a lot harder than it looks.

My wife and I went shopping for groceries. But first we stopped at Corner Bakery Cafe and got a bite to eat, as I've found that if I shop when I am full I don't buy crap and I tend to make more informed food choices even when not dieting. I had the Anaheim scrambler without bacon. No potatoes and no toast. I was plenty satisfied with that.

So we got to the store and she said, pick out what you're gonna want to eat(as I told her I didn't want her to change the way she cooks just for me). So i went into the frozen food aisle and I couldn't believe it; everything was made with meat! The only things that weren't were desserts, and since I'm on a diet as well, that wasn't gonna fly.

So, I gathered up my courage and went to see the produce section. I immediately realized that all the dishes I have liked over the years with meat could probably be made without it. So I rounded up a gaggle of produce and headed toward the dairy section. I got some sugar free Greek yogurt and some sugar free pudding cups along with milk and eggs.

I didn't stray into any of the other aisles and only bought wholesome, nutritional food.

As for exercise today; I did the following...

05:00 30 minutes of Tai Chi
06:00 30 minutes of walking around the track at the high school across the street
(This actually translates into about 5 laps or 1.25 miles)
14:00 10 minutes of Plyometric drills (10 minutes was all I could muster)
17:00 30 more minutes around the track
19:00 20 minutes of weight training

Now if I didn't break all of this up during the day, I would NOT be able to do it all. As it was I was out of breath with the plyometrics.

As for the tally of what I had to eat, here it is:

2 eggs with veggies and cheese
3 apples
4 celery sticks with peanut butter
10 almonds
2 pudding cups
3 pickle halves
1 bowl of vegetable soup (I made it)
1 Greek yogurt
1 banana
2 mangoes (I probably shouldn't have had these, but I wanted something sweet)

And that folks was all I had to eat. I of course had a grip of water and 3 diet sodas and one diet monster in the morning

Here's the kicker though. My wife bought carrot-cake cupcakes from a local bakery. Not sugar free either. And they had that really nice cream cheese frosting...Ohhh!
But I didn't eat them, not even a bite. I felt really good about that.

2 days down so far...141 to go!

Whose on First, What's on Second...

Carbon and Iron: Bonded, precisely as the Chemist sought.
A metallurgical foal, this is what, He hath wrought.
Mettle, common and royal, like the blades of seasoned past;
Polished, ’til its surface, smoothed and shone, velveteen glass.
Strike then parry, coule’ and bind, ‘this was how we hath fought.
A different form, I now cradle. They wrote down a final thought.
With its strength, came an era, and everything that was caste;
I’ve closed the book, and marked the page, that it be found, at long last.
I commence then halt, choking; finding a Just end to my fast.
I imagine the process once again, that brought to me, this object outcast
The time it took, to make it right, crafted and culled with much thought.
Life after this? I drank in theories, like some kind of spiritual sot.
The finished part, assembled now, with thread and freedom it holds fast.
When combined make deadly force cause crimson flow and life to pass.
Tasting now the remnants, of sulpher, and carbon, in proportion bought.
Adrenalin! The kick is mighty; but I won’t be denied what I’ve sought.
I feel the mechanism, now give way, beyond this tension I will outlast.
I see neither the flash, nor hear report, as if deaf and blind, I am at last!
The plumbum mushrooms and passes through, in the mortar, it shall be caught
Sanguine splatters, now cover the walls, with specs of grey and bone, it’s fraught
Our passing brings, with consternation, weeping kith and kin aghast
But blame me not. In my stead, find a bigger, mightier mast;
The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, to an Amendment, blame be brought;
The First or Second, they’re at fault! I never without them would have thought.
That life be taken, without just cause, cries of, “Legislation, must be passed!”
Shock to the marrow, previous cases, a “living document”, “dead hand of the past”!

Back on the Treadmill (sort of)...

I have done it.

I have dipped below 300 lbs. for the first time in close to 12 years.

But now I face a new challenge. I really want to attend my best friends wedding in New Orleans in May and I'm afraid that I will be charged for two seats on the plane; something I can ill afford.

So my goal is to lose an additional 60 lbs. by May, so that I can fit into a new suit and look better than just presentable at my friend's wedding.

So here's my plan, it's a three-part approach. Something I have never done before. At the worst I will just lose weight, but if I succeed like I have planned, I will be thinner AND more healthy.

1.  I am going vegetarian, completely. That means no chicken, no fish, and definitely no hamburgers. I will still consume eggs and dairy products. My reasons are gonna be listed further down the page.
2. I am going to take diet supplements. Specifically, Caffeine, EGCG, and L-Carnitine.
3. Finally, I have changed the exercise routine around to include some plyometrics, aerobic, and free weights as well as the Tai Chi I normally do.

Now, my reasoning behind all of this.

Okay, here's my thoughts behind the decision to go all veggies. I watched this awesome documentary called, "Food Inc.". In it, they detail how livestock and poultry are treated in the majority of commercial farms, and honestly, it is deplorable. As a species with the freedom to act as we will, it would seem that we should treat lesser beings with some sort of respect. I'm not against eating meat, but I want the animal to have some semblance of an existence before I slaughter it for consumption. I have been told of course, "That is stupid!"
But I don't believe it is. And if I'm right, it's not un-scientific.

Here's the logic behind what I am thinking: If an animal is raised without cruelty, they are likely to be healthier, and therefore when brought to market, more nutritious. Makes sense to me anyway.

My other reason for giving up meat is health related. It has been well documented that vegetarians (and I might think by association, vegans) are for the most part healthier. My chief concern would be the intake of protein. That is not a problem as long as you consume dairy and eggs. Vegetarians cholesterol has been shown to be lower. And unlike meat, fruits and vegetables provide most of the essential nutrients necessary for good health.

Now, Why Supplements? Here it is: I take two anti-psychotic medications, both have the associated side effect of weight gain. As such, I need every advantage I can get. So I choose Caffeine and EGCG (a green tea extract) to increase my metabolism all day long. As for the L-Carntine, it has been shown to dramatically aid in the digestion of fat. And when you are trying to lose fat, you can use all the help you can get.

And finally...Why the different training methodology? I am for my size (5'11" and 290 lbs.) very strong. I have great endurance, and my balance is pretty good for an over-weight individual. But I wanted to increase my range of motion, build up my frame a little to make up for the fat lost (and to enhance metabolism), and increase my instantaneous (explosive) power..

To achieve these goals, I have added plyometrics to my workout routine.

The hardest part so far (I've been at this for a day now)? Is not eating something with meat in it. The rest is pretty easy. I just have to take a couple of precautions; like eating before I go shopping and eating before we go out to eat (I know that sounds odd). But if you eat before you go shopping, you buy far fewer impulse items, and tend to stick to the outer edges of the store where the healthier foods tend to be located. And as for eating before you go out to eat; eat something small, like an apple or a yogurt. It's just enough to keep you from being famished should you have a long wait til you are seated and the food is brought to your table. It will also help you keep from (in my case this is my greatest weakness) eating chips and salsa when you are eating Mexican food.

1 day down. 142 to go.

The Risen Zombie Jesus

I feel the blood run down my face
I have lost and am disgraced
With thieves upon all sides of me
I fall down halfway, on one knee.
I'm whipped and kicked and beat right down
I fall all the way now and hit the ground.
They pick me up and make me go
Vene, Vidi, I am the show
When I reach the top of the hill
they make me stop I am their kill
They tie me up, upon the wood
I've bled so long, I'm feel so good
I feel something sharp pierce my side
I have come to the end of this fucking ride
Now in the dark I sleep for a time
I should be rotting into ooze and grime
I feel in me something stirring
as if a candle were slowly burning
I awake with oozing sores
and break through the chamber doors
I glow now with a radiant light
but everyone who sees me runs in fright
I've got a craving in my veins
What is this urge? I yearn for brains!
I am the zombie Jesus, risen from the dead
Be careful faithful and guard your head
I am at the top of the food chain
I will never die again
I rise into my kingdom up into the clouds
to see my father and the spirit, I know that they'll be proud
When I come to judge again
I will feed upon the Human brain
Nourishment till the end of time.
Human brains, they're mine.. All MINE!!!

The Bucket list

Showers of latex hit the floor. The sum of it tends to splat.

On the canvas some will score, but the majority hits the matte.

Ochre, beige, magenta, green: ROY G. BIV on Black and White!

Probability fills in this scene, with color thrown ‘pon darkest night.

Statistical ‘nomolies here and there. There’s no accounting for ones taste.

But languid  liquid fills its share, and oozes outwards from this space.

An homage whacks profound!  Jackson Pollock in her wake!

More subtle, and serene, yet round;  like yesteryears chocolate cake.

The surface stretched out taught and sheen, drips like inspiration’s vat.

Custom designs in rainbow  clean, shapes emerge from her hat.

Like wizards wands she fills the air, like Myrdinn’s lust for Le Fay

Brushstrokes now with natural hair, from her palette Lumination’s spray.

And soon the energetic performer, has glistened out , evening’s due…

The daylights long and nights are warmer, is the surface the right hue?

The brush is reluctantly let go, like a pet that one can’t keep.

To the floor and into the floe, in crimson pools now begin to seep.

The artwork done yet still not signed, will bring many forger’s to be Taut.

The artist is done, she sleeps resigned. Her early work will now be sought.

O what joy her pieces shone! For kingly sums her works  are framed.

O memory pass by my thrown. The fires burning finely tamed.

-KEn

Three Smallish Tips to Help You Burn Fat...

Well, in the diet game, I've learned that even small tips on burning fat can help make the scale seem friendlier at the end of the week. Here are three tips that will put your body in fat burning mode.

1) Take a cold shower in the morning for at least :30 seconds. This stimulates your body to burn calories to increase your body temp back to normal. Don't just jump into an ice cold shower! Start of with at least a lukewarm shower and cool it down gradually until it's icy cold. But don't go longer than a minute.

2) Drink ice cold water all day long. You need at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water anyway. Make it chilly cold and your body will have to work harder to heat it up.

3) Eat a "negative" calorie food, like celery. It's not actually negative in calories, but the work that you body puts out to get any nutritive value from it usually takes more energy than it gets from the celery. So the net effect is a minus in the calorie tab.

Those are the three tips I have. I won't swear that you'll burn MEGA calories from them, but every little bit helps. Try them out. If you find that they don't work for you or aren't worth the trouble, then don't use them. Otherwise, enjoy a cold shower, drink cold water, eat celery and watch the scale tell you how good you're doing.

Hi...My name is Mark.

Well, I promised poems...Here's one of my favorites. I wrote this last October. Hope you like it.

Hi...My name is Mark.

My vision is still acclimating, to the wind shift, about 5 knots.
Southeast now; but I’m creating, what my mind finds in deep thoughts.
I see my friend in suit and tie, he’s standing over by the fence,
 I’m wearing something apropos, I just finished reading “Common Sense”.
I’m working even in this depression, economics for me, not much of a factor.
I’ve worked in tighter financial climes; we share a common benefactor.
Being a man, of the people, my jobs have taken me everywhere.
I’m of the “Few” though, and was schooled, in fitting in and playing fair
Taking time to get to know you, “What’d we eat for Lunch, yesterday?”
Oh yeah hot dog with onions n’ relish, though we took our time to  pray!
Then hopped a cab to the museum, rooms with sculpture, paintings, antiquities…
Spent time in the room with Monet, Degas, AND…  Bob Ross’ Skillful trees!
Art worth so much now, because its creator’s Creator called them home.
Next we tour the silent halls, Grecian Urns, and bits of Rome.
You say good-bye and head on home to your spouse and family.
I work on a costume now, soon it’ll look just like a tree.
In the morrow we meet again, this time in a back room deal…
Secrets traded for monetary gain, it would be different if I could feel.
Hamilton, Jay and Madison, wrote that power ‘tis a dangerous thing;
I agree of course, though I hope you’ll play, Judas’ part and softly sing
I wield a the sword of Damocles, yes, “heavy is the head that wears the crown”.
But I’ve got to obey policy. Even if it means I’ll come around.
I think my thought, “I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest”
Unfortunately the call come through, Put “Laertes Sword” to the test.
Our time together was well spent. I learned so much about you Mark!
But your future, it looks grim and so bleak and so dark.
I break away from the pack, they taught me well at Quantico.
I find the perfect elevation and set up my little show:
Binoculars to see far away, our paths no longer coincide
Really there’s nowhere to go or to run and to hide
I’ve taken in all your info, I know approximately where you’ll be
I opening up expensive optics: I look right in. It’s you I see!
I line up crosshairs, looking out, at our docile country’s flag.
O’er the plaza where you stand when I reach out there’ll be no drag.
I slowly pull and you stay calm; not a clue nor any panic
Down you go, out of the fray, sinking now like the Titanic
I’ve done my duty, for fellow man, and my job, with our nation
I think about how hard it was, to take you down, no hesitation
I’ll be back after I report to committees of officials elected
On to my next friend, I’ll spend some time. Pray it’s not you, that they’ve selected.

-KEn