Day 54

Ugh...this week is just a wash. Between the business trip and now catching up with my other work plus catching up on sleep because I didn't get much on the Red Eye from San Diego I was just frantic yesterday. PLus there was no food in the house which meant I was eating out. Now my buddy is in town for the night and who knows that'll go down today.

The weight is still down. I haven't been eating that bad, at least, and the drink has been mainly wine. So that's good. I'll just have to chalk this week up to "shit happens" and keep moving on.

Finances
1 - Subway: $5.41
2 - Rock Bottom: $51.86

Robin and I, after work and before crashing.

Food
1 - Six-inch turkey sub on wheat from Subway. No cheese and no dressing.
2 - Some spinach dip with veggies.
3 - Grilled chicken salad with various veggies and walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette. Two pints of light beer.

Workout
Nothing substantial.

Day 53

Finances
I might have went over per diem today...I'll have a better idea when I put together my expense report, honestly. I'll update this entry if I did.

Food
1 - Raisin bran, skim milk, and a hard-boiled egg
2 - Turkey, avocado, and bacon on sourdough with mustard, a small cup of chili, and half a cookie.
3 - Fried calamari
4 - Bacon-wrapped 6oz steak, scalloped potatoes, and mixed vegetables.
5 - Three glasses of wine and three pints of light beer.

Workout
Nothing substantial. A bunch of walking and forty push-ups. I'm back in DC tomorrow and can get back to the gym. My hotel didn't have a gym, greatly derailed me.

Day 52

Finances
I didn't spend any money today.

Food
1 - Raisin Bran, skim milk, and a hard-boiled egg
2 - A piece of bread and a flatbread grilled shrimp sandwich with chipotle cream sauce and goat cheese
3 - Three glasses of wine
4 - Grilled shrimp and crab legs and three pints of light beer.
5 - A quarter of a bagel

Workout
Nothing substantial. Walked a lot and did forty push-ups

Day 50

Finances
I didn't spend any money today.

Food
1 - Raisin bran, skim milk, and a hard-boiled egg.
2 - Creamer for coffee.
3 - Mixed nuts.
4 - Roast beef, peppers, onions, and swiss on an onion roll, ham and beans soup, and a small oatmeal cookie.
5 - A quarter of a quesadilla (it was free). Several chips with some salsa. Small piece of lean steak, four grilled shrimp, rice, and, regrettably, the refried beans I promised myself I wouldn't eat.
6 - Four glasses of red wine and two bottles of light beer.

Workout
1 - 40 push-ups
2 - 40 crunches
3 - 20 side crunches on each side
4 - 20 leg lifts
5 - About three miles of walking

Day 49

I'm on per diem through Wednesday since I'm on a business trip so whereas I'm paying for all my food I'll only put down what I spend over per diem which, so far, is nothing.

Finances
1 - Church: $20
2 - Movie purchase (The Simpsons): $5

Talk about a waste of time and money...

Food
1 - Eucharist and sacramental wine
2 - A small gyro burrito
3 - Three small pieces of dark chocolate
4 - 7 pieces of nagiri sushi and a California roll
5 - A cupcake from Crumbs
6 - 100-calorie snack pack
7 - Three glasses of wine
8 - Two peanut butter cookies

Workout

Short workout today - had a plane to catch.

1 - 10-minutes on elliptical
2 - Superset: Seated dips (10 reps with 90, 105, and 120 lbs) and yoga-ball crunches w/medicine ball (3 sets of 50)
3 - Superset: Shoulder lifts (3 sets of 10 with 15 lbs in each hand) and over-head tricep extensions (3 sets of 10 with 15 lbs, each arm)

Day 48

Finances
1 - Lunch: $40

Took my sister out.

2 - Jacques Torres: $45.52

Two boxes of chocolate, one for us and one for the parents, and two hot chocolates.

3 - Gas: $28.12

Food
1 - A somosa, roti, jasmine rice, chicken korma, and lentils
2 - Hot chocolate
3 - Panelle and ricotta on a roll
4 - Sugar free red bull
5 - Mixed nuts

Workout
1 - 30 minutes on elliptical
2 - Superset: Incline bench press (10 reps with 90 and 100 lbs, 8 reps with 110 lbs) and potato sack squats (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs)
3 - Superset: Dumbbell flies (3 sets of 112 with 70 lbs) and shoulder plate press (3 sets of10 with 20 lbs)
4 - Superset: Dumbbell shoulder press (3 sets of 10 with 80 lbs) and curls (3 sets of 10 with 25 lbs for each arm)

Day 47

Finances
1 - Netflix: $17.84
2 - Amazon: $17.84

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen finally shipped.

3 - Cupcakes: $26

I've been teasing Robin with Crumbs for about two years, finally took her.

Food
1 - Two scrambled eggs, some butter, and ketchup
2 - Red Velvet cupcake from Crumbs
3 - Thanksgiving Sandwich (turkey breast, mashed potato, and stuffing on whole wheat
4 - Some more stuffing
5 - Five chicken wings and some Spanish rice
6 - Slice of apple pie with non fat whipped cream and some milk
7 - Apple cider

Workout
None

Day 46

Finances
1 - Groceries: $20

Helping the family out a bit.

2 - Movie tickets: $53.75

For me and the family.

3 - Bar tab: $8
Couple of beers for me and Robin

Food

Does Thanksgiving get a pass? I hope so...

1 - Bialy with a tablespoon of peanut butter
2 - Cheese bread with mozzarella, olive oil, and tomato
3 - Small cupcake

My sister made cupcakes, what can I do?

4 - Turkey leg, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, green beans, one biscuit, gravy, and cranberry sauce
5 - Seconds of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, gravy, and craberry sauce
6 - Slice of pumpkin pie with some no-fat whipped cream
7 - Slice of apple pie
8 - Some non-buttered movie theater popcorn
9 - Bottle of red wine
10 - Pint of beer

Workout
1 - 1-mile jog
2 - 10 dips
3 - 40 push ups

Day 45

Between work and driving to NYC it wasn't the best day. Wasn't too bad either, though. I need to fill in some of the blanks later.

Finances
1 - Breakfast: $4.66
2 - Lunch: $5.45
3 - Gas:
4 - EZ Pass refill: $35
5 - Dinner: $34.21


Food
1 - Ham, egg, and cheese on a croissant
2 - Steamed rice and baked chicken breast
3 - Three small fish tacos with pinto beans and goat cheese
4 - Two sugar free red bulls
5 - One mallomar
6 - Small piece of pumpkin pie

Workout
I did some pushups but not enough to count as a workout

Day 44

Finances
1 - Library fines: $5.40
I really need to get the books in on time.
2 - Haircut: $20

Food
1 - Two Van's wheat-free blueberry waffles and some syrup
2 - Banana
3 - Roast beef, turkey, provolone, and cranberry chutney on whole wheat
4 - Brazil nuts and dried blueberries
5 - Chicken breast and wild rice w/mushrooms
6 - A small piece of cake. Chocolate with vanilla frosting.

Robin baked it and I had to at least try it...it was good.

Workout
1 - Biked to and from work. Two miles each way, uphill going, downhill coming back.
2 - 30 minutes on elliptical
3 - Superset: Chest press (12 reps with 110, 120, and 130 lbs) and pull downs (3 sets of 12 with 110 lbs)
4 - Superset: Pectoral flies (1 set of 12 with 100 lbs, 2 sets of 12 with 115 lbs) and rear deltoids (3 sets of 12 with 100 lbs)

Day 43

Finances
1 - Dinner: $33.61

Coworker still in town - I joined him for dinner. He's a conniving bastard, convinced me to have some beers with him...

Food
1 - Two Van's wheat-free blueberry waffles, syrup, and a cup of skim milk
2 - A banana
3 - Roast beef, provolone, and cranberry chutney on whole wheat
4 - Mixed nuts and dried blueberries
5 - Grilled mahi-mahi tacos with black beans, rice, and some guacamole and three beers
6 - Small piece of pumpkin pie and a small spoon of low-fat vanilla ice-cream

Workout
1 - 100 push-ups
2 - 100 crunches

Day 42

Man. Hit a bit of a bottom last night. We had the DC Conspiracy get together and I didn't drink all that much, honestly. Four pints. I was drinking out of a half-pint glass in order to slow it down. But then a colleague from work called me up, he was in town, and I tacked on another three pints. Combined with the fact that I didn't have dinner last night just lead to a series of bad decisions.

Finances
1 - Breakfast for me and Chris: $17.84
2 - Tolls: $12.50
3 - Dremos: $70.55

Part of that was a big tip - not into get into the details of the night but I had to compensate for the crappy tips of some of the people I was with.

Food
1 - An omelet with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and salsa with a side of roasted potatoes. Some skim milk for the coffee.
2 - 2 sugar-free red bulls
3 - A plate of Indian food - a mix of chicken and veggie options
4 - Pita and humus
5 - Seven pints of beer

I essentially made it so that in order to achieve my alcohol goal I can't drink any more alcohol until day 61. I'll see what I can do.

6 - Three chicken fingers, a slice of pumpkin pie, and a piece of bread with peanut butter

Like I said...drank a bit and made a bunch of bad choices before going to bed.

Workout
1 - 1-hour bike ride, ending at the gym
2 - 10-minutes on elliptical machine
3 - Superset: Incline bench press (3 sets of 10 with 85 lbs) and yoga-ball crunches (3 sets of 60)
4 - Superset: Potato-sack squats (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs) and back pull-ups (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs)
5 - Bike ride home

Day 41

It's slowly coming together - yesterday was non-stop. I need to get all of my receipts together and most of them are in my car. I was in AC today, locked in a hotel room and working on a Sam Cooke graphic novel with Chris Stevens.

All-in-all, a failure of a day as far as this blog goes. But, honestly, we got a fantastic opening and a PERFECT ending.

Finances
1 - Breakfast: $4
2 - Gas: $30.10
3 - Tolls: $13.65
4 - Drinks for the ride: $5.23

Red bull and water.

5 - Liquor store: $33.66

Wine, bacardi, red bull, and coke.

6 - Lunch: $6.72
7 - Hotel: $86.95
8 - Food stuffs/supplies: $13.70

Aspirin, banana, potato chips, toothpaste, and gingersnaps

Food
1 - Half of a pumpkin muffin and some skim milk for my coffee
2 - Three Sugar-free Red Bulls over the course of the day
3 - Mixed nuts and dried blueberries
4 - Five Guys cheeseburger
5 - A bottle of wine (5 glasses? It was a 750ml bottle of red)
5 - Some salt and vinegar chips and two ginger snaps
6 - Two crab stuffed-mushrooms, a piece of bread, and tortellini with peas and prosciutto.
7 - A banana

Workout
None

Day 40

A big eating day but tomorrow should be standard as I'll be locked in a house writing pretty much all day and all night. But I should point out that I still ate relatively well.

Finances
1 - Coffee: $1.64
2 - Bar tab: $14
3 - McCormick & Schmick's: $70.55

It was actually $120.55 but I had a $50 gift card. Robin and I like to go to McCormick & Schmick's once a year or so, hence the gift card. Of course, $50 doesn't get you very far there.

Food
1 - A bowl of Cheerios with skim milk
2 - Some skim milk for my coffee
3 - Hazelnuts and dried blueberries
4 - Roast beef, turkey, and cranberry chutney on whole wheat bread and a small piece of birthday cake

The cake was good and I regret nothing. Actually, not true...I regret not eating a bigger piece.

5 - Cashews
6 - One small garlic knot
7 - A vodka cran
8 - 6oz fillet mignon, two king crab legs, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and carrots. I also had a bite of Robin's swordfish and one of her roasted potatoes. Two bottles of Bud Light.

This is the ninth day of this month and I've had 10 servings of alcohol - I'm doing a good job of tracking one serving per day. I'll probably shoot ahead a little bit tomorrow but won't be drinking Sunday or through next week, most likely. I'll be nice and even going into Thanksgiving.

9 - Creme' brulee and some milk for my coffee. I also had a bite of Robin's apple pie.

My meal came with a small thing of delicious creme brulee.

Workout
1 - 50 push ups

Day 39

Trips!

I have trips coming up. Trips scare me. It's difficult to eat well and it's difficult to control the money. I'm already formulating plans:

1 - As of right now I'm in Atlantic City this Saturday for a writing session. This one should be easy since we're locking ourselves up in a house. I'll likely bring my own wine, vodka, and sugar-free red bull. Dinner would consist of some sort of brain food and breakfast should be cheap. I'll bring nuts and fruits with me.

2 - The following weekend I'm in NYC. When I'm in NYC I basically eat a lot, drink a lot, and spend a ton of money. I just need to have some control, that's all there is too it. As fas as food goes, Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving. I'll go light on the corn and try to stick to the white meat. Wine with the meal instead of beer. Then I have two nights out on the town - sugar-free Red Bull and Vodka or Vodka Crans will likely be the drink of choice.

3 - The last week in November has me in San Diego for at least three days. This is a work trip so airfare, hotels, rental car, parking, etc is all taken care of. The meal per diem for San Diego is pretty high, too, so I can get away with having close-to-no food budget for those three or four days. Instead of drinking at night I'll find better ways to occupy my time - it helps that I love San Diego.

4 - Orlando, Florida. Another work trip. It could be tacked on to the second half of the San Diego trip or it could be mid-December. Again, with some self control I'll be just fine. Of course, it's a lot harder to make healthy eating choices in Orlando than it is in San Diego - they need to cater to the scooter crowd you see at Disney.

5 - Two week NYC/Boston trip. This one is going to cost. Christmas break, New Years, my godson's birthday party...it's going to cost plenty. I have no plan for this two-week stretch yet.

Finances
1 - Car Payment: $320
2 - Student Loans: $150

Food
1 - Two slices of whole wheat toast, a tablespoon of low-fat peanut butter, a table spoon of raspberry preserves, and a cup of skim milk
2 - Some milk for my coffee
3 - Broiled crab cake with a little bit of tartar sauce on a kaiser roll. A side of broccoli and cauliflower.

We took a new employee out to lunch today.

4 - Almonds and dried cranberries
5 - Pumpkin seeds
6 - A baked chicken breast with a light steak-sauce marinade, one corn on the cob, and two small, low-oil garlic knots
7 - Half-cup of pomegranate juice

Workout
1 - 30 push ups throughout the day
2 - 35 minutes of interval training on the elliptical machine
3 - Superset: Chest press (12 reps with 90, 110, and 120 lbs) and pull downs (12 reps with 75, 95, and 100 lbs)
4 - Superset: Calf extensions (12 reps with 110, 130, and 150 lbs) and leg extensions (12 reps of 90, 95, and 100 lbs)
5 - Tricep press (12 reps of 110, 130, and 150 lbs) and bicep curls (12 reps of 50, 55, and 60 lbs)

Day 38

Finances
1 - Plane ticket to Orlando: $268.80

My company outing is in April. Every two years they fly every employee out to some city for a couple of days of meeting and greeting. Last time we were in Boulder, this time we're in Orlando. My airfare and hotel is paid for, if I want to bring Robin all I need to do is pay for the plane ticket. Robin loves Orlando so I figured I'd treat her. She's buying the Disney passes, though...

All-in-all it'll be a cheap mini-trip. Almost all of our travel expenses will be paid for.

2 - Hollywood Video: $15.34

Sucks. I went to rent a game and found that I had late fees from months ago.

Food
1 - Two Van's Berry Boost waffles, syrup, and a cup of skim milk
2 - Cup of unsweetened apple sauce
3 - Roast beef, turkey, provolone, and cranberry chutney on whole grain bread.
4 - Brazil nuts and dried cranberries
5 - Chicken cutlet with bread crumbs and Parmesan, a side of pasta, and tomato sauce

Workout
1 - 60 push ups
2 - 150 crunches

Day 37

Finances
1 - Sam Cooke DVD: $19.99

I needed it for a little writing retreat this weekend.

Food
1 - 2 scrambled eggs, provolone, butter, ketchup, and a half-cup of skim milk
2 - Skim milk for coffee
3 - Roast beef, provolone, and cranberry chutney on whole grain bread.
4 - Cup of unsweetened apple sauce
5 - Hazelnuts and dried cranberries
6 - One chicken cutlet (light breading and Parmesan cheese), some pasta, tomato sauce
7 - Whole grain bread and a tablespoon of peanut butter

Workout
1 - 30 minutes of interval training on elliptical machine
2 - Superset: Bench press (2 sets of 10 with 105 lbs and 1 set of 8 with 105 lbs) and potato-sack squats (3 sets of 12 with 50 lbs)
3 - Superset: Dumbbell shoulder press (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs) and shoulder lifts (3 sets of 10 with 50 lbs)
4 - Superset: Dumbbell flies (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs) and curls (3 sets of 5 with 30 lbs for each arm)

Day 36

Finances

I didn't spend any money today.

Food
1 - Shredded wheat, skim milk, and a banana
2 - Almonds, Brazil nuts, and dried cranberries
3 - Roast beef, provolone, cranberry chutney, on whole grain bread
4 - A banana
5 - London broil (with olive oil and steak sauce), baked beans, and a small piece of cheese bread
6 - Some more cheese bread.

It's so good! My parents brought it from Brooklyn.

Workout
100 push ups

I did 20 push ups during each commercial break while watching Heroes - a case against Tivo, right there.

Day 35

Strategy...

I spent a little bit of money today but this coming week should be spending free and I took it easy on Friday and Saturday so I think I'm doing all right. I'll be monitoring it closely, of course, and I'm still spending too much money on stuff like coffee.

Food wise, with the exception of the chicken wings and chili I'm eating well. If I don't drink and alcohol through Friday, which is the plan, I'm keeping to the 1 serving per day goal. I'm at 9 servings so far, the two pints today were worth 4. Sucks. I wish Dremo's sold liquor.

Exercise wise, I missed one day so far this month and I shouldn't have a problem going every day this work week, honestly. I'll see if I can pull that off. I'm starting to enjoy working out so it shouldn't be a huge challenge.

Finances
1 - Box of coffee: $13.07
2 - Church: $20
3 - Breakfast for four: $37.98

Parents were still in town today so I took them out for breakfast.

4 - Pedicure for Robin:n $35

She's been studying so hard she needed a break.

5 - Groceries: $52.51

A week's worth of dinner and lunch as well as some fruit and soy sauce.

6 - Dremo's: $36

I went to get some writing done. Robin met up with me and did her work there, as well. I put down around 5000 words and I feel good about 4000 of them.

Food
1 - Eucharist
2 - An Egg, spinach, feta cheese, and tomato omelette with some hash browns, a slice of rye toast with some butter, and some ketchup.
3 - Skim milks for several cups of coffee
4 - Croissant pudding sample at Whole Foods
5 - White rice and grilled chicken breast
6 - Two pints of Delirium Tremens.
7 - A couple of almonds and brazil buts with dried cranberries.

Workout
1 - 15-minutes of interval training on elliptical machine
2 - Superset: Ab machine (3 sets of 50 with 95 lbs resistance) and Seated rows (3 sets of 10 with 90 lbs resistance)
3 - Ab twists (3 sets of 10 with 90 lbs of resistance for each side) and curls (3 sets of 10 with 60 lbs)

I had to cut it short today, I was squeezing the workout in before church.

Day 34

Parents in town - I think I made some healthier choices today. I should point out that I weighed din at 222 this morning. Not sure how, but I'm a total of 12 pounds down so far, five so far this week.

Finances
1 - Two coffees: $3
2 - Sunday paper: $1.65
3 - Hot chocolates: $3.50

Food
1 - Pumpernickel bagel and butter
2 - Baked onion rings and a sandwich (roast beef, crab meat, brie cheese, and cilantro mayo on a pita). I also had four of Robin's fries.
3 - Hot chocolate
4 - Four pieces of crispini with humus.
5 - One bottle of Two Hearted Ale
6 - Eight grilled chicken wings (four hot and four honey BBQ) and a half-bowl of chili with some sour cream

I'd call this my nasty meal of the week. At least I didn't eat until I was sick, I left a good amount on the plate.

Workout
1 - 15-minute interval training on elliptical machine
2 - Superset: Bench press (3 sets of 10 with 105 lbs) and yoga ball crunches (3 sets of 50 with a 25 pound plate on my chest)
3 - Superset: Curls (3 sets of 8 with 55 lbs), tricep pull-downs (3 sets of 10 with 75 lbs), and tricep pull-downs, overhead grip (3 sets of 10 with 75 lbs)
4 - Crunches (3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs of resistance)

I don't think the machine was oiled up right...I was having a really hard time getting these done.

Day 33

Finances
1 - Coffees: $3

Robin and I decided to start the morning together...we hardly do that anymore.

2 - Improv Boston Donation: $60

In support of my friend and old writing partner Marcelo Illarmo. He's growing a mustache for thirty days in an attempt to raise $7000 for the theater that let him produce Tales of a Broken Heart: Not a Love Story, truly one of the most moving plays I've ever seen. I also got to cohost a show once at Improv Boston, an evening that ended with one the most embarrassing story in my catalog.

3 - Laundry: $6.25
4 - Bar/Pool: $35

Food
1 - Two scrambled eggs and two pieces of turkey sausage with some ketchup. A cup of vegetable juice.
2 - Sandwich: Turkey, provolone, and light mayo on whole wheat
3 - Brazil nuts and dried berries
4 - Grilled chicken and a side of white rice
5 - Two sugar-free red bull and vodkas and two vodka cranberries

Ah...the way around the 3.5 pints of beer a week...make it seven alcohol or wine drinks. Nice.

Workout

No time. After work I had to go home, clean the apartment, and do laundry before going out with my friend Lynn. Parents are in town early tomorrow.

Day 32

Finances

I didn't spend any money today.

Food
1 - Mini-wheats and skim milk
2 - Almonds and dried berries
3 - Sandwich: Turkey, provolone, light mayo, and whole wheat
4 - Half of a pomegranate
5 - A small veggie spring roll and Pork, green beans, and asparagus in a super-hot chili sauce
6 - A banana spring roll, some berries, and a very small portion of green tea ice-cream along with some cream for my coffee

We had a gift certificate for Duangrats - a fantastic Thai restaurant.

Workout
40 pushups
Well...I wanted to start my four push ups a day plus a workout four-five days a week thing. I woke up with a crick in my neck, however, that started hurting a little bit after my morning push ups and then a lot a bit after my mid-day push ups. I couldn't even turn my head. SO I had to forgo the gym for now - I'm icing it up, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. It's a neck/shoulder blade thing. Weird.

The First Month

Well...we can call this the baseline month. In a way I'm glad that I'm off to a horrible start. This would be a boring blog if I didn't improve, after all. Let's just get right to it.

Finances
I spent $4516.33 this month. That's a lot of money. In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that my base take home is $4433.28 a month. This month my take home was closer to $5500 thanks to some extra money coming in from elsewhere so even with such a crappy month spending wise, even considering the fact that I would have spent above my means on a standard month, I still managed to put $700 in savings this month.

But I'm not happy about this. Not at all.

Now, granted, the number's skewed somewhat. I spent 705.60 on travel costs (hotel and rental car). My eating out bill this month totaled 465.67 but 180.75 of that was also spent during LA. I also had a comic convention this month which meant eating out and buying a lot of comics...$100 worth, in fact, on top of my monthly comics bill which came out to around $46 this month.

My groceries came out to 206.97 this month. Fair. I can't help but imagine how much less it would be if I didn't insist on buying produce, meat, and dairy at Whole Foods but, honestly, I don't see myself going out of my way to shave that bill.

$55.84 in what I'd deem entertainment spending, which is awesome, but a $172.20 bar tab. I think I need to shave that one a bit. I think that one explains my lack of weight loss, as well.

$2225.55 in unavoidable bills. Rent, cable, etc. Only $5.25 in ATM fees but I usually manage my cash pretty well in order to avoid them. $137.55 in car expenses is a bit high this month but I filled a tank of gas three times - once while out in LA and once at the beginning of this month and once a couple of days ago. The refills just landed weird, as did my paying gym memberships twice this month, totaling $170.

My most embarrassing bill? What I categorized as "extra food". This is the food stuffs I didn't really need to buy but did anyway. A little over $170. This is, primarily, my coffee, bottled water, and mints bill. There are other things thrown in there of course but the bulk of it is coffee, bottled water, and mints. I can definitely shave this one down.

$204.23 in purchases - most of which was comics and a new pair of jeans.

Oh, and pathetic: $31 to charity.

I think I need to focus on my bar, eating out, and extra food bills. They totaled $774.34 this month which is completely unacceptable. The total should be AT MOST half that number. So that's a goal, right there. $350 in eating out, bar, and extra food. Hell, I'm inclined to say $250 but let's take it slow for now. With the travel bill dropping significantly I can easily cut my total monthly spending down by $1100 bucks this month - that's what I'm shooting for.

Food
I ate well this month. A couple of mishaps here and there, the nastiest thing I ate was certainly a chili dog with chili and cheese fries and nothing else really even came close to that level of gross. It's the beer, though. I had 70 servings of alcohol this month and even that's cheating since a serving is considered an 8 ounce can of beer and I only drink pints. 16 ounces. Two servings of beer each pint.

So...I think 10 of those 70 servings I tallied up were wine. Which means I had 130 servings of alcohol this month. On average, a little over four servings a day.

Four. Servings. A. Day.

That's close to alcoholism, I'd imagine.

So, here's the deal. One serving a day average this month. If this means I want to save it all up and have 7 servings (3.5 pints) on a weekend night - awesome sauce. If I don't...well..it'll be a dry weekend. I'm never going to lose weight drinking this much beer. It's impossible.

Workout
I'm very happy with my working out this month. I worked out 21 times and there's a noticeable improvement in my physique. Robin likes touching my chest now...that's hot. I also lost 7 pounds, despite the whole beer thing. I just need to keep improving, that's all.

_______________________________

It's amazing that I actually thought I was doing well this month. Crap. My goals for this month are to trim $1100 off my spending, average a serving of beer a day, and to keep up with the exercise and try really hard to do push ups and sit ups every day. Holiday season is coming up...this should be fun.

Day 31

Well...it's been one month. I'll be posting a recap shortly. For now, let's get to the daily tally.

Finances
1 - Coffee: $2
2 - Gym dues: $85
3 - Dremo's: $14.50

Robin and I went out for a drink after she got home from class.

Food
1 - Two Van's Berry Boost waffles, some light syrup, and a half-cup of skim milk
2 - Some skim milk for my coffee
3 - Hazelnuts and dried cranberries
4 - Sandwich: Ham, provolone, and light mayor on whole wheat bread
5 - A large apple
6 - Macadamia crusted mahi-mahi and some vegetarian baked beans
7 - A slice of whole wheat bread and a tablespoon of peanut butter
8 - A pint of Octoberfest
9 - Two tablespoons of humus and three pieces of crostini

Man...I ate a lot today, apparently.

Workout

Technically I didn't work out but I did spend two hours dismantling a sofa by myself. If you don't think that's a workout you apparently never dismantled a sofa by yourself. But we'll say "none".

Day 30

Finances
1 - Coffee: $2
2 - Bottled water: $1.25
3 - CVS: $11.83

I needed to pick up some medicine for Robin as well as some water and a card.

4 - Smoothie: $6

For Robin. Included tip.

5 - Parking: .25
6 - Dremo's: 20.50

Food
1 - Wheat thins, a banana, and skim milk
2 - Banana
3 - Sandwich: Ham and swiss with light mayo on whole wheat
4 - Brazil nuts and dried blueberries
5 - One mini-chocolate donut and a sip of skim milk
6 - Macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi and a serving of pasta with butter.
7 - Three octoberfests.

I went to Dremo's to get some writing done. It was a very productive evening.

Workout
1 - 15-minutes of interval training on the elliptical machine
2 - Superset: Dorsal flies (3 sets of 10 with 90 lbs) and free motion bench presses (1 set of 10 with 40 lbs and 2 sets of 10 with 45 lbs for each arm)
3 - Superset: Potato-sack squats (3 sets of 10 with 50 lbs) and front shoulder lifts (3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs)
4 - Superset: Ab machine (3 sets of 50 with 80 lbs resistance) and leg extensions (3 sets of 10 with 110 lbs)

Day 29

Finances
1 - Coffee: $2
2 - Whole Foods: $23.66

Robin was incredibly sick last night. I wanted to take her to the hospital. Over a five hour period she vomited 12 times, by my count, and her temperature dipped below 96-degrees. She was up to 2AM which means I was up until 2AM. She was convalescing today which means I was getting her whatever the hell she wanted. Hence this trip to Whole Foods where I was to pick up apples, watermelon, and strawberries. Almost 24-bucks might sound like a lot for that but keep in mind watermelons are out of season. Hurray!

3 - Hot chocolates: $4
4 - Safeway: $2.44

This time the crazing was for mini-donuts and hostess cupcakes. Let me tell ya, it's hard buying this stuff and not eating it.

Food
1 - Mini-wheats, raspberries, strawberries, and skim milk
2 - Skim milk for my coffee
3 - Sandwich: Roast beef, ham, swiss, and light mayo on whole wheat white bread.

I don't get the bread, either. Robin picked it out. It's not the healthiest bread but it's good enough.

4 - Almonds and dried blueberries
5 - Pistachio-crusted salmon
6 - A small, skim hot chocolate
7 - I licked the remaining peanut butter off of a knife after making Robin a sandwich
8 - Five pieces of crostini, about two-tablespoons of brie cheese, and a tablespoon of cranberry chutney

Workout
1 - 30-minutes of interval training on the elliptical machine
2 - Superset: Tricep pull-downs (1 set of 15 with 60 lbs and 2 sets of 15 with 70 lbs) and seated rows (3 sets of 10 with 110 lbs)
3 - Superset: Free-motion cable cross biceps (1 set of 10 with 35 lbs for each arm and 2 sets of 10 with 40 lbs for each arm) and shoulders (1 set of 10 with 35 lbs for each shoulder and 2 sets of 10 with 40 lbs for each shoulder)

Day 28

Finances
1 - Church: $6
2 - Coffee: $2
3 - The Gap: $46.73

I needed new jeans. I buy a pair of new jeans every so often, usually when my current "favorite jeans" are retired. My current favorite jeans (I had them for two years) recently fell apart. I keep my wallet in my front pocket and the constant pressure/rubbing caused a rather large hole to form. Now the inside of the pocket pokes through the pants. So, farewell Banana Republic Straight-Leg jeans that I got on sale for thirty bucks. Hopefully my new Gap 1969 Straight-Legs will take your place.

4 - Gas: $33.81
5 - Whole Foods: $53.62

I'm going to have to correct this one tomorrow when it shows up on my bank statement. I lost the receipt and apparently didn't record it in my book, presumably because I had the receipt. It was around $50 for three nights worth of dinner for two people, some milk, and some snacks.

Food
1 - Two Van's Berry Boost Waffles, syrup, four strawberries, and a half-cup of vegetable juice
2 - Eucharist and sacramental wine
3 - Gyro, mushrooms, provolone, and sauce on a pita
4 - Crostini, brie cheese, and cranberry chutney

I'd say about appetizer sized. There were five pieces of crostini and enough brie and chutney to load them up nice-and-even.

5 - Half a rotisserie chicken

A small chicken although I did allow myself to eat the skin...

6 - Dark chocolate and rasberries
7 - A small handful of cheddar puffs.

Workout
1 - 60 push ups

The plan was to go to the gym after the Pats/Colts game but Robin got really sick last night and I was taking care of her all evening/early morning.

Day 27

Finances
1 - Comics: $45.95
2 - Smoothie: $6.00

Food
1 - Sandwich: Roast beef, swiss cheese, Whole Foods Seeduction bread, and light mayo
2 - Strawberry and banana smoothie
3 - Home-made guacamole, salsa, and chips
4 - Salad w/avocado, Mexican rice, and a chicken and cheese enchilada
5 - Two bites of dark chocolate
6 - Hot chocolate, fruit salad, and a cinnamon donut
7 - A six pack (Bell's Two Hearted Ale and one Pilsner Urquell)

We were at a dinner party tonight. Items 3-7 are what I consumed.

Workout
1 - 30 minutes on the elliptical (interval training)
2 - Superset: Ab machine (3 sets of 50 with a 65 lb resistance) and seated rows (3 sets of 12 at 75 lbs)
3 - Superset: Rotary torso (3 sets of 10 at 90 lbs, both sides) and seated dips (3 sets of 12 with 105 lbs)
4 - Superset: Bench presses (2 sets of 8 at 105 lbs and 1 set of 5 at 105 lbs) and yoga-ball mountain climbers (10, 5, and 8 reps)

Well, the good news is that I graduated to the 45lb plates on the bench. The bad news...sort of...is that I've been doing the yoga-ball mountain climbers wrong. I was resting the ball against the wall for stability. If you don't do that they're much harder. Much harder.

5 - Superset: Double plate press (3 sets of 10 at 20 lbs) and potato-sack squats (3 sets of 10 at 50 lbs)
6 - Superset: Front shoulder lifts (3 sets of 10 at 20 lbs) and side shoulder lifts (3 sets of 10 at 10 lbs, each side)

A great workout today. I want to try to workout at this intensity two or three times a week.

Day 26

Finances
1 - Lunch: $8

I forgot my lunch at home today.

2 - Dinner: $62.79

Took Robin out on a date...we haven't went out like this in a while. She's been so busy with school stuff. We had dinner at Front Page. We had a coupon that allowed us two meals (up to $18 each), one appetizer, and one dessert for $40. So I remained cost conscious by using a coupon for the first time in my life. On a Friday night, too. Embarrassing.

3 - Movie tickets: $20

American Gangster. It was good enough.

4 - Large diet coke and a medium popcorn: $11.50

Food
1 - About a serving of mini-wheats and a banana.

I ate it dry...we didn't have any milk in the house.

2 - Cup of Italian Wedding soup with crackers, half panini (grilled chicken, roasted peppers, muenster cheese, and pesto mayo), and a bag of Kettle Chips Sea Salt & Vinegar.
3 - Mixed nuts
4 - Two Hershey kisses
5 - Crab & artichoke dip with some bread, half a plate of linguine, grilled shrimp, spinach, and feta cheese in a lobster sauce, one crab ravioli, half a piece of chocolate cake, and one pint of Yuengling.

If you take out the chocolate cake it wasn't a horrible meal. Tomorrow night I'm in someone else's hands, however, as we're going to Robin's friends house for dinner. Portion control will be key. Or a lot of alcohol so I throw everything back up.

6 - Movie theater popcorn.

Combined, Robin and I ate half of a medium-sized bag.

Workout
1 - 5 1-minute sprints @ 8mph

I usually do 6 but there was a growing pain in my lower back. No idea why.

2 - Superset: Tricep extensions (3 sets of 10 with 70 lbs for each arm) and curls (3 sets of 10 with 50 lbs, inside grip)
3 - Superset: Shoulder press (3 sets of 10 with two 35 lb barbells) and forearm curls (3 sets of 12 with 40 lbs)
4 - Bench press (3 sets of 10 with 95 lbs)

Day 25

I've been losing weight. Not a ton of weight, I was 228 at the gym today (I think I started this thing at 333. But I'm also starting to look slimmer. Robin notices it too. And my doobs are starting to look like pecs. You can actually feel some muscle under there and when I wear a shirt that's tighter up top it's not like I'm looking in the mirror and saying, "Damn...I have tits." I'm definitely starting to see some improvement - it's nice. Believe it or not I'm even curtailing my spending drastically. I should have done a baseline month first just to see you how much of an idiot I was. I still have work to do in that department but I think I've been making better choices with my money, that's for sure.

Finances
1 - Coffees: $4

One for Robin, one for me.

2 - Bottled water: $1.25

Big meeting at DTRA, needed some water to keep the cough down

3 - Cafe Asia: $25

Went out for happy hour/friend's birthday

4 - Six-pack: $5.66

Food
1 - One and a half Van's Belgian waffles, one piece of turkey bacon, butter light syrup, and a half-cup of skim milk
2 - Banana
3 - Sandwich: Roast beef, swiss, Dijon mustard, and Whole Foods Seeduction Bread
4 - 8 pieces of nigiri sushi (2 salmon, 2 smoked salmon, 2 tuna, 1 surf clam, and 1 mackerel), 3 crab wontons (bit sized), 2 Chinese ravioli (basically steamed pork dumplings in hot sauce, bite sized), 2 steamed shrimp dumplings (bit sized), edadame, half of a spring roll (bite sized), 2 bites of Robin's noodles, a shot of saki, and three pints of Miller Light

On the whole, a healthy form of pigging out...if you don't count the beer.

5 - Two bottles of Miller Light

Robin and I were celebrating my pod being on TV.

Workout
1 - Five hard minutes on the elliptical
There was some warm up, cool down - I basically got the heart rate up to 150 and kept it there for a minute before coming back down.
2 - Superset: Incline bench presses (3 sets of 7 with 95 lbs) and yoga-ball crunches (3 sets of 50)

This little number did a bit of a number on me. Combined with...

3 - Superset: Yoga-ball bench press (3 sets of 10 with 70 lbs) and curls (3 sets of 10 with 25 lbs for each hand)