Onwards and downwards!

Had a good week working out, I only took off 1 day. I strained my shoulder lifting weights, so I’ve been focusing instead on more cardio, which is probably better for getting weight down in any case. My conditioning is really starting to pick up– I’ve been boosting my treadmill speed, and also increasing the amount of time I’m spending on it. In case you’re wondering, a typical cardio workout might be:

• 20-30 minutes on an elliptical trainer (I like the low-impact aspect of it, plus it uses some of the same leg muscles as cycling)
• 15-30 minutes on the treadmill

Total amount of time largely depends on how much time I have available for the workout. Ideally I have a full hour, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out and I have to rush. I always do at least 45 minutes though.

The weather has been starting to crack a bit towards spring, so on Monday I fired up the trusty old grill for the first time since last fall. Only this time, we weren’t going to be charring animal flesh. No sir. It was all about non-sentient vegetables and fungus, baby.

After pulling the cover off the grill and getting a fire going (sorry, no gas grills for me, I’m a purist and only like to use real, non-briquet, charcoal), I tossed on some asparagus lightly coated in olive oil and fresh-ground black pepper. After that, I added some portabella caps. And then finally, some Gardenburger BBQ Riblets, which appear to be some sort of soy concoction pressed to resemble actual ribs. In effect, these kind of reminded me of McDonald’s ‘McRib’ sandwich. Perhaps you may have been one of 7 or 8 people who got to sample one.

So how did my vegan feast turn out? Pretty decent, actually. I’m always a fan of grilled asparagus, so that was a hit. Grilled portabella burgers were ok (we added a slice of soy cheese, which is kind of iffy– not a taste I’ve acquired quite yet). Surprisingly, the Gardenburger riblets were really tasty, and rather convincing as ribs (notwithstanding the lack of bone). We’ll be trying them out again.

So it turns out you can grill without meat. Not quite the same, but makes for a tasty meal nonetheless.

The good news, as I see it, is that I’m not denying myself food when I get hungry. I’ll have a snack, it’s just that it’s a meatless- and animal-product-less snack. Also, trying to keep out the simple refined sugars. I’m not on any no-carb kick. I will have rice, pasta and potatoes, although we try to lean towards brown rice, whole wheat pasta and sweet potatoes.

The effect so far has been pretty positive. Let’s see if it keeps up in the week ahead…

First off, disappointing week on the weight loss front, since my weight stayed the same at just over 215. I’m not tooo concerned about that, since I think it’s just part of natural ebb and flow of weight– you really don’t ever just go straight down. Also, my clothes continue to fit me better, which is the best way to tell.

I had a really good workout week– I worked out 6 days, taking just one day off. That is likely a factor in the weight loss, since I think I’ve been putting on some muscle. Cardiovascular condition continues to improve, which is important since cycling season will be here within the next few weeks as the weather starts to warm up.

On the veganism side, I was pretty good in the past week. Breakfasts were all vegan, lunches and snacks were almost entirely vegan (I had a falafel sandwhich one day, and I think there’s some milk which goes into the tzatziki sauce they put on it). Dinners were mostly vegan, although my wife and I splurged on Friday for pizza (no meat, just cheese and veggies), and I had salmon for dinner on Saturday. All in all, I think I’m sticking with the Kinda Vegan diet program…

A vast array of pharmaceuticals (AP) — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones - have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs - and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen - in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health… more