I never thought it would come to this, but…I'm thinking of starting to watch what I eat, at least a little bit. The rest of the stuff is details and probably uninteresting to everyone in the whole world, but I want to write it out to get it organised in my own mind (and to refer back to it). You are, of course, free to read it all the same, if you so desire.
I'm not terribly out of shape—between biking to and from work five days a week, jiu-jitsu practice three times a week, and (very intense) kickboxing practice twice a week, I think I have a healthy level of physical activity in my life. I would like to lose some of the stubborn fat around the midsection, though (for vanity purposes; because I could be more mobile on the mats if I lost some weight; whatever), and I figure that diet, not exercise, is going to be key here. According to various online sources, a man of my age, height, and weight, with a moderate
level of activity, should eat about 3000 calories' worth of food per day; if I want to lose a little bit of weight, I should try to reduce my daily intake by about 500 calories. Due to my ludicrous array of allergies, I must do so without eating
- Chicken or turkey
- Eggs
- Legumes (peanuts, soy protein, lima beans, chickpeas, green peas…)
- Apples, plums, peaches, or fresh strawberries
- Tree nuts (including almonds)
(It is an unfortunate fact that I listed most of my favourite fruits above.)
The obvious things I should do is cut down on Coke (which I occasionally buy late on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons when I'm tired, and another coffee would be bad for my stomach) and mochas (which I occasionally buy because they're tasty). On the home front, Mikeila is all for trying to use some healthier ingredients, whole-grain rice, and so forth, and I hardly ever eat white bread to begin with. At work, I could probably eat better lunches—I do tend to go out for lunch a fair bit, though it's not terrible food; most commonly either Japanese, or a place called Steamrollers which serves burritos, but steam-cooks all their food.
The tricky issue for me is snacks. Brain work
is surprisingly tiring, I've found; I get very hungry after a few hours of programming. I need a few snacks during the afternoon. I'd love to bring a few green apples, but…no can do. I tend to bring cereal bars (where my options are limited…most of them have nuts); sometimes, dried fruit snacks. I also tend to eat a banana per day. I need to figure out what else to eat so that
- I don't get too tired to work hard at the gym after work
- I don't suffer hunger headaches or dizziness
- I maintain a calorie deficiency of (let us say) 250–500 calories per diem
I'm also not entirely sure what to do about supper—Tuesdays and Thursdays I come home around 9:30 pm, and am very hungry indeed, yet too tired to do anything very efficiently. It's typically after 10 by the time I'm showered and ready to eat, even though Mikeila usually has something ready for me (<3). I seem to recall some suggestions that you shouldn't have large meals late, but I am rather vague on this, and again, this is after a 9–10 hour workday followed by kickboxing practice (and a bike ride home). I need food.
I'm thinking that yoghurt (with moderate amounts of one of the rare, non-lethal kinds of granola) may be one snack addition with some potential. Beyond that, I do not know. On the off chance that anyone read this far, suggestions are welcome.
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