Well, I seem to keep losing weight. Ironic, especially since I havent been subscribing to my diet. I have been very active though, so I guess thus far if I could offer one piece of advice to anyone wanting to lose weight it is this:

get off your ass and exercise. Just one hour a day. A walk a lot.

Anyway, I thought I have been losing weight but couldnt find a weigh to weigh myself, but my suspicions were proven correct when my family came to visit me and said I looked like I lost weight. Also, my belt is a good two or three inches too big as my pants keep falling down every time I move hoses, bags of malt, and other stuff around at the brewery. Ive never been so happy to be embaressed. A lot of my shirts are too big now; some of my polos feel like tents now.

In conclusion: goodbye 4X shirts and 46+ belt size! Also, if youre active, you can relax on the diet.

OK everyone, thanks for the kind words and advice you have been posting!

Euphoria

The dictionary states that Euphoria is a feeling of confidence, well-being, and happiness. It continues by saying that it is often exagerated as a state of mania.

Well, tonight has confirmed what my Euphoria is.

Food.

Maybe it is the alcohol speaking, but to me, food is the foundation of life. Fundamentally, we need it to survive. Protein, carbohydrate, fat...all necessary to human beings in order to survive. Yet on the idealistic level, food achieves a far greater stature. It can lead to people feeling happy, it can be the centerpiece of a poltical deal, and it can be the essence of religion ranging from loaves to fishes.

To me, on this night, Euphoria is Coq au Vin.

To the gourmand, Coq au Vin is a staple of French cuisine. To the unitiated, it is braised chicken stewed in wine and vegetables.

To me, Coq au Vin is a reflection of my personality. If you ask my Mom, I have been cooking since I was a toddler. I learned to add, subtract, multiply, and divide not in the classroom, but instead in my family's kitcehn using teaspons, tablespoons, quarter cups, and quarts. But I digress...

Tonight I made my own version of Coq au Vin. I chopped leeks, onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, and onion. After seasoning some chicken things and searing them in a saute pan, I then trasnfered the perfumed oil to a large pot and sauted my aromatic and vegetables. When they became soft, I added half a bottle of red wine and some rehyrdrated porcini mushrooms, brought to a simmer, and then added my chicken thighs. An hour later after a low simmer, I dished it up on some brown rice, the gamiest of grains in my opinion, and consumed along with a bottle of white wine.

A simple, low-intensity dish prepared by perhaps the world's most laid-back (but not lazy!) man. Not only does this dish appeal to my palette, but it appeals to my personality. Rustic cuisine, pure and simple.

It was heaven. Perhaps it is the fact that I havent actually created something in my kitchen for over three weeks, or perhaps it was the wine in my system, but I achieved a state of peace I havent felt for a very, very long time. I apolgize if I come off as an idealist or a romantic, or if I am doing what the call wax poetic (is that the term), but for some reason my soul resonates not just with the consumption of food, but with its creation. Looking back on all the years of my life, I find that the happiest moments were when I created food for people. Whether it was in the Italian restaurant I worked at during college, or whether it was cooking Christmas dinner for all my local family, I relish the opportunity to create food for people.

Well, its been an interesting month. Like I mentioned I got a new job and moved mid-June. Those first few days were hectic as I had spent all my money on a deposit, rent, bed, and other stuff so I did not have enough money to stock my fridge. So I had to eat some fast food. I forgot how good it tastes, but since I've essentially been grease-free for over half a year it wreaked havoc on my system...I woke up feeling sick as a dog.

Fortunately I got paid and I can now buy good stuff. So I have been eating fairly healthy (oatmeal for breakfast, protein shake for snack, mixed greens with a can of tuna on top for lunch, and something lean for dinner) but now there is another issue: my workout schedule!

Work is essentially a "make your own hours" situation. Unfortunately, my hours are based on the head brewer since I am in an apprenticeship position. I have to show up when the other guys shows up. Since my days are usually 10 hours of lifting 50 pound sacks and 100 pound kegs, stirring quicksand-like mash, and doing other physical stuff in a hot and steamy room, I cant workout after work. As a result, I have to workout in the morning. Unfortunately, it seems like the guy I work with always calls me five mins after I get on the elliptical machine! GRRrrrrr!

Anyway, to sum up, I dont feel I have put on too much weight...I am more concerned about losing my muscle mass (which turns to fat, yuck) as a result of not lifting weights. I think my job has me burning enough calories throughout the day that I can stay at my current weight if I continue to eat healthy.

OK, thats it for now...more of an angry rant than a blog. I need to find a scale that can go beyond 300 pounds so I can track my progress...its very difficult to hold yourself accountable when you can tell yourself that you think youre losing weight (as opposed to knowing youre losing weight).