My improved heat resistance continues to surprise me. I used to break out into a sweat just going outside in the hot summer weather. That was when I weighed a lot more. Now, I have a whole week (and maybe a whole summer) of very hot weather ahead, including days in the 90s. What will it be like once I weigh 40 pounds less?
That brings up the whole business of fitness. Being thin and having your weight under control is one thing. But you can’t stop there. Some level of physical fitness is important also.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 60g toast (140); hummus (100); olive tapenade (50);
- 290 calories
Lunch – 120g bread (280); ham (100); cheese (70); salami (130);
- 580 calories
Dinner – 6 ounces cooked spaghetti (300);
- 300 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80); pretzels (150); chocolate (130);
- 360 calories
Total for the day: 1530 calories (limit 1850)
Wizards and wonders
Terry Pratchett once wrote that if you were the kind of person who keeps adding pickles and chutneys and condiments to your sandwich and don’t even notice when the meat slips out and falls on the floor, you might be of the wizardly kind of mind. He knew a lot about wizards, since he invented so many of them and filled his books with them. That’s not me though, as you can see from the picture above. Anyway, I’ve noticed that the most calories on your sandwich can easily come from your bread. I do like some pickles and condiments, though. In my mind those things are “free” even though they do have calories at some level and those can add up.
For example, my BLT wrap has a fair amount of lettuce and a few tomatoes, and a bit of horseradish sauce. I don’t normally count them with the bacon and the wrap, or just put 10-20 calories in my record without really measuring or counting. There are limits to how far I will go for weight control! And my sandwich today had pickles, mustard, and horseradish sauce. When I make hamburgers or pork burgers it is the same – I don’t count the lettuce, onion, tomato, or horseradish mayo. I do count it when it seems like a lot. When I make Spanish tortilla (eggs onions and potatoes cooked in olive oil) I count the tablespoon of mayo I put on the side. That’s 110 calories! At least, if you use good mayo.
So far this has not stopped me losing weight. I have guessed that as you get thinner and thinner, it gets to be more and more effort to maintain your weight. I wonder if there will come a point when I am counting olives and salsa and marinara sauce and ketchup on a sandwich. I kind of hope not.
My pressure cooker has arrived! I have plans for it. Keep watching!
-The Doctor.