Finding Balance

It's Friday, and Back to Basics has been put in the basement. Fridays are now about Finding Balance.

My name is Mike and I’m a foodaholic.

I like food. A lot. But I’ve gotten to a point where some changes need to be made. I’ve never believed in doing things in moderation until recently. My motto has always been, “Go big or go home”. But lately I’ve really tried to modify my habits and change my thinking. To really understand where I’m at and to get a good barometer on my new approach, click here.

I know I need to exercise and I know I need to eat smarter. But I’m also smart enough to recognize that I can’t give up the things I love cold turkey (mmmm, turkey). Nor should I have to.

My promise to you is that I will exercise regularly, reduce my intake of fried and other generally unhealthy foods, decrease my portion sizes and eat more fruits and vegetables.

I’ll update you every week on my progress and tell you what I’ve been eating, where I’m eating out and how I’m trying to order healthier, the type and duration of exercise I’m doing, as well as how much weight I’m losing.

So, to start things off I’ll let you know that as of this entry I have lost 4 pounds since Friday, 10/8. I really haven’t eliminated any foods other than fried ones, but I have really tried to focus on portion size and when I’m eating.

I did try a new place for lunch this week, Café Pita. We ordered hummus as an appetizer (a much healthier alternative to the fried cheese that I wanted). I had a cup of Bosnian bean soup as a warm-up, and then ordered a cevap for my entrée. A cevap is basically a sandwich made with Bosnian flatbread and grilled sausages made from beef and lamb with assorted spices. Really good, but really filling – I ate a little more than half and tapped out.

So there you go - entry #1 in Finding Balance. Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions. I know I can’t do this by myself.