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About theffkid

I've always wanted a blog. Now I have one.

Day 24 Hello!

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So day was full of so much PR win for the FFK blog!

Since I know most of my views have been coming from my buddy Stephan Pagano (who is one of my weight loss heroes. So much so that I wrote a post about his awesomeness a while back…) So allow me to introduce myself!

Hello. My name is Nathan, but I’m also known as the Fotographing Fat Kid. Nice to meet you! I’ve lost over 100 pounds since September 2010 and you can read my story here! You might wonder why it says Day 24 even though I’ve being on my weight loss journey since 2010. Well, a few days ago, 24 days to be exact, I hit the reset button on the whole thing to kick start my weight loss again! I hope that clears up any confusion!

So, let’s get to it!

After yesterday’s breakthrough that I didn’t need a holiday to be surrounded with food, I felt awesome and confident. Dare I say… confidently awesome! Let’s talk food!

photo 2Breakfast: I was going to swim this morning before work, but I had a crappy night’s sleep so I hit the snooze because sometimes sleep is more important than exercise (if anything so you won’t go to your job grouchy only to lose said job which leads to you not being able to afford a gym membership. See? It all works out!) Anyway, I made my favorite blueberry muffin smoothie with old fashioned oats, vanilla almond milk, fresh kale from the farmers market (which tastes so much better than the bagged variety), frozen blueberries, peanut butter and flax seeds. It was ridiculous, kids! I know it looks like mud, but it actually looked like a blended up Barney the Dinosaur. 10 points. It’s usually 8, but I added a little extra peanut butter because I’m naughty like that ;).

photo 3Lunch: I wasn’t really hungry until around 2 PM so I just decided to go Brooklyn Water Bagels for a couple of slices of pizza. I avoided the toppings to shave off some points. Every point counts, right? 15 points

 

 

 

 

photo 4Dinner: I didn’t get home until close to 8 tonight and I really wanted to just go out and gorge myself on something unhealthy. But deep down, I knew that it was something I would regret. For most of my life, that regret wasn’t enough for me to avoid that situation. Thankfully, Megan, my super stud of a wife, had an awesome idea for a deliciously filling dinner! We bought a lemon pepper rotisserie chicken from Publix along with a bag of salad and some Bolthouse Farms Parmesan Cesar dressing. I shredded up half of a chicken breast and then ate two drumsticks and a wing because I was that hungry. I was pretty proud of my awesome dinner because I have never counted my portions when we’ve gotten a rotisserie chicken. BOOM. WIN. 20 points.

For dessert, I had a glass of milk and some strawberries. 2 points.

So today I got to 47 points out of my 48 point allotment! I’m uber proud of myself today. Time to keep the momentum going! See ya tomorrow for a great Wordless Wednesday!

P.S.
WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THIS HORRIFYING COMMERCIAL??????
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Day 23: Monday Stuff

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Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

It felt awesome to actually count my points today. Was it easy? Not always. Was it a pain? Kind of. Will it be worth it in the long run? Yes, because I actually knew what I was putting into my body. When I don’t keep track, things can go south…like last night when I ate 500 calories worth of Corn Nuts because they were there. I didn’t record them so they didn’t count, right? WRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG SON! Like my blogging buddy Dani posted this morning with Weight Watchers, or any plan, we are responsible for it all! It might sound crazy, but that kind of crazy helped me lose over 100 pounds once upon a time!

So today, I got serious with it all. Thanks to the awesome WW app, I could check most of the food easily with the barcode scanner feature! I’ve never really talked about how much I love the app, BUT I’M A HUUUUUGE FAN! But I digress…let’s talk food!

IMG_3450Breakfast: I’ve always been a proponent of breakfast. Frankly, bacon is 90% of the reason why I wake up every morning (the other 10% is combination of my love for coffee and Megan). Anyway, this morning I made a delicious breakfast sandwich with three perfectly cooked slices of bacon (if I do say so myself. BTW, the key to cooking perfect bacon, in the words of Michael Bolton, is time, love and tenderness. Seriously, cook your bacon low and slow and then pat it down with a paper towel. You won’t regret it!) and two over easy eggs. Gotta love some yokey goodness! 10 points
IMG_3452 IMG_3464Activity: So since we had the day off, we decided to head out to FSU’s awesome outdoor facility called the Rez (yes, short for the Reservation) for some paddleboarding and kayaking, or that’s what we had planned for at least…So since I’m a staff member, it’s $10/hour to rent a paddleboard, which is super reasonable and I was willing to pay it.
Well, for some stupid reason, they only took cash. They use a computer system to check in and out equipment, but they don’t have the power to take debit. I wouldn’t have been so disappointed about it, but they didn’t mention that on their website. So since we had already paid to get in, we decided to play a round of frisbee golf out there which was actually a lot of fun! It was a relatively easy little 9 hole course through the woods. It ended up being a pretty awesome trip! I’ll just bring cash next time…;)

IMG_3458Lunch: For lunch, we just made some simple sandwiches and just relaxed around the house. 13 points

Snack: While we were watching Goldeneye (aka the inspiration for the best video game ever (yes, ever) created) I had some light brie from Trader Joe’s and some water crackers. It’s easily my favorite afternoon snack! Oh yeah, and I even weighed my brie to get an accurate amount. That’s a non-scale victory…kind of…I guess that uses a scale so I’m not sure if that counts….5 points

IMG_3466Dinner: So last week, Megan and I had some pretty big ideas about what we were going to cook today. We were thinking about smoking ribs, maybe grilling steaks, or something delicious and monstrous like that. No matter what we were going to make, it was going to be unhealthy and plentiful. Now, it’s no secret that we love cooking. It’s something that we love to do as a couple, but in this case, it was going to be a meal that was going to take up most of our day. When we were buying food for dinner tonight, I told Megan “I don’t want the rest of our day just to be about food.” That was a really big deal for me! I knew that eating healthy needed to be a priority for me today so I made it one! It felt good to put my health ahead of my tastebuds. Win one for the FFK!
Anyway, we had some Johnsonville brats with potatoes and sour cream. It was a delicious 21 points!

Today, I got to about 49 points out of my 48. Win!
So this week, I’m starting my Start to Fitness workout class again! I’m so flippin stoked. Between that and my new swimming regimen thrown in there, (oh yeah, when we were at the beach yesterday, I did some laps in the open gulf. That was awesome!) I can tell good things are on the horizon :). See ya tomorrow.

Day 22: Weigh In Day!

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Hello kids!
photo 2I’m still reeling from a long day at the beach and an epic season finale (except back in my day, 7 episodes did not a season make…) so I’ll keep this brief!
This week, I started swimming and was overall pretty active. However, my eating wasn’t always the best. I started strong, but I let life get in the way and used it as an excuse to eat bad food. What I’m slowly learning is that you really can’t out-exercise bad eating. I’ve heard that for a long time, but I never really took it to heart. Now, I’m a firm believer and I’ve learned my lesson. With that being said, I lost 1.6 pounds this week! I’m still in the 250’s, which I am not thrilled about at all, but I’m slooooowly getting there! That’s the only way I can look at it to keep it going. Slow and steady right?

So, elephant in the room blog, I haven’t been posting my food like I said I would for a while. Well, that’s about to change…starting tomorrow! I am sick of being at this weight and I’M READY TO HIT MY FREAKIN’ GOAL!!!! Like I’ve said recently, I am the most active I’ve ever been and my eating is close to being on track. It’s time to get it all going and to treat my body the way it deserves to be treated. Get stoked for awesomeness. See ya tomorrow.

P.S. This is a cute kitten.
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Day 19: Thursday Stuff!

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Why Hello!
For all of those who are new to my blog, welcome to the craziness! Sometimes I blog, sometimes I rant, sometimes I just post pictures of random things. You’ve been warned.

Here’s just a recap of what I’ve been up to!

photo 2So this week has involved a lot of exercising. Specifically: swimming. It’s been something that I’ve wanted to start for a while, but I just haven’t even though my gym has a huge pool! Last week, I did some research on drills to do and things like that and just went for it. I know most of the strokes, so I channeled my inner-Mark Sptiz (sans the awesome stache. That will be here in Movember) and swam for the first time on Tuesday. The first day was a little rough, but I just gutted it out to get through. My moves felt a little rusty, but it eventually came naturally to me. By today, my mechanics felt a lot more natural and I was moving through the water like a dolphin on crack…or something like that. My gym (the lovely Leach) also had some swimming toys equipment like kickboards, water weights and pull buoys that you put between your legs so you’re forced to more through the water with only your arms. After four years of the same ol’ exercise regimen of running, weights, and racquetball, it was awesome to explore new fitness territory!
Since my group fitness class is starting up again next week on Mondays and Wednesdays, I’m planning on going to swim on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Between all of that, plus the continuous fight towards healthy eating and the occasional runs, I think I’m on the road towards awesome weight loss! Get stoked!

Speaking of stoked…
FFK FITBLOGGINToday, I registered and planned my trip to Fitbloggin!!!!!!! In a little more than a month, I will be in Savannah, Georgia and meeting all of my favorite blogging buddies while learning how to be a not-so-terrible blogger! I can’t flippin’ wait! More on that soon, but for now it’s time for some much needed beauty sleep. (Seriously, look at that face. I look like Edna Boil from Tex & Edna Boil’s Organ Emporium.)
Anyway, see ya tomorrow!

Day 9: Monday Time

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I’m going keep this brief because I’m wiped from my run this evening. (Humidity does not a happy FFK make.) I guess I need to start writing earlier…
If you are mad, please accept this cute photo of an owl as an apology.

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Detective Owl is on the case…

So today wasn’t too bad with food thanks to some smart snacking like a banana around 3 pm when I need a little pick-me up. Those little decisions really do help me avoid disaster in my eating. Almost like a guardrail that saves me from driving off a cliff (or something like that…)

Breakfast
Granola with milk. I’m not gonna lie, there’s not much left. GOOD THING I JUST BOUGHT SOME MORE GRANOLA INGREDIENTS YO!!!! Anyway, it was about 6 points.

photo 1 copy photo 2Lunch
Megan surprised me at lunch with made from scratch tomato soup.
(Yeah…she’s pretty awesome.)
It paired really well with a turkey sandwich with a little spicy artichoke spread. I also half an ounce of brie and some crackers. It was all about 20 points.

photo 4 copyRun
After work, I decided to go on a run. It’s been a while since I’ve ran so it was nice to get out there. I decided to go trail running, which was exhaustingly hot, but a lot of fun! Nowhere close to a record time, or even a normal pace, but it was fun! (Jumping in to the pool immediately after was a nice reward!)

photo 5Dinner
Tonight, we made some delicious vegetable curry with a raita sauce. It was monstrously filling and full of amazingness. Check out the recipe here! With rice, it was about 20 points. I was exact with my counting on this, but I know that is really close.

So today, I got to 46 points. I do impulsively eat a few things here and there and then not count them, so I’m going to be more strict about that in order to optimize my weight loss.

See ya tomorrow.

Day 8: Weigh In Day!

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10296620_10100187375056227_1082354935763991465_nI don’t even know how to start explaining why my Mom is the best in the world.
Where do I begin?
Do I start with how my earliest memory of my mom is her holding me when I was crying and asking me “what’s the matter?”Or should I start with the times she would humor my homesick phone calls from summer camp?
How about the time she encouraged me to ask that cute Megan girl out on another date?
My Mom and I have always been close. I am incredibly blessed to have a Mom who cares, challenges and encourages me.
Thanks for being awesome, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

Alright, enough mushy stuff…

WEIGH IN TIME!
So like I said last night, I wasn’t sure how today’s weigh in was going to turn out. I knew that I had put in the work, but I was going to be okay with the number no matter what because this week was a step in the right direction. Well, I had a nice surprise this week: I lost 2 pounds! Huzzah! I’m still in the 250’s, but I’m getting there! I’ve already noticed that my binging habits have eased off and I’m actually full thanks to eating real food! So who knows what next week will bring, but I’m pretty stoked to see what happens next! Week 2, here we go!

Breakfast
I had some delicious granola just dry. 8 points

IMG_3107 IMG_3108Lunch and snack
For lunch, I just had some delicious leftover chili (because leftover chili is the answer of all of life’s problems) and then I had an ounce Trader Joe’s AWESOME light brie with some water crackers. It’s only 2 points an ounce! SCORE! Then I had some TJ’s chocolate crisps. So all that was 12 points.

IMG_3118 IMG_3113 IMG_3110Out and about
A few years ago, Megan and I had a little herb garden in our backyard. Then one day, I watched a stray cat walk over our rosemary bush, gross stray cat belly and all. Then I almost threw up. The cat’s name was Jeffery. He was a sickly critter. Anyway, since then, we have avoided planting anything else. Today, we decided to make an elevated herb garden. We found this rust-proof shower rack (perfect for Florida humidity) and put it up with a few planters. We planted regular basil, purple basil, oregano and cilantro. We also planted some jalapenos and hot red peppers. We’re pretty stoked to see how they all turn out. I had some granola with milk for 6 points. (Does this make us Granola People now?)

IMG_3119 IMG_3122Dinner
Megan made this killer chicken and rice casserole that was about 12 points and then 4 points of ice cream. YERM!

So I got to about 42 points today which is pretty awesome. I might have forgot a thing or two (which happens) but I’m pretty happy it! Here’s to an awesome week. See ya tomorrow.

Day 7: All the Deliciousness

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Sup kids!

Let’s get this bliggity blog going!

This morning started with bacon, eggs and coffee (6 points). How much better can it get? Oh yeah…BY GOING TO THE FARMERS MARKET!!! We went to the ever-awesome Market Square farmers market, followed by a trip to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. It’s the triad of fantasticness!

IMG_3073Lunch: The other day, we grilled two chili and mustard spice rubbed pork loins so today we made something delicious with the leftovers. I made a modified version of this BBQ sauce on my hero Aaron Franklin’s YouTube series and then chopped up the remaining pork. I was shooting for a chopped BBQ sandwich, but it ended up being the best Sloppy Joe sandwich of all time! 10 points

IMG_3079-2IMG_3085IMG_3084Activity: The Tallahassee Museum (which isn’t really a museum…more of a zoo mixed with a plantation mixed with zip lining) had an open house today so Megan and I did some serious exploring and trail walking. They had everything from swimming bears, beautiful scenery and pleasant company :).

IMG_3102 IMG_3103Snack: When we are not shopping for food and eating food, we watching plenty of shows about food. Our absolute favorite cooking shows are not on Food Network, but on the PBS station Create! The two best shows are “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Country.” Chris Kimball and his gang of foodie misfits do their best to create the perfect recipe. They are the ones who wrote the Cook’s Illustrated cook book I bought Megan. Anyway, this morning they talked about how easy it is to make your own granola. IT WAS PAINFULLY EASY AND CHEAP! It’s always funny how we spend money on certain things that are ridiculously easy to make ourselves! So I made the recipe (read and watch it here!) and I filled up a gallon bag or so full of the best granola I have ever eaten. You should definitely check it out!

IMG_3105 IMG_3101Dinner: Another recipe out of the Cook’s Illustrated book (I’m pretty sure we’re going to cook through that whole book by December…) was beer can chicken, a classic seemingly redneck recipe where you cook a butt-chugging chicken. The beer is supposed to moisten the chicken while cooking and it totally delivered! You are supposed to use a “cheap beer” so we bought the Simpler Times Pilsner from Trader Joe’s (think a cheaper version of Miller Light) and used that. We rubbed down the chicken with spices, gave the chicken a canoloscopy (see what I did there?) and then put it on the grill for about an hour and a half. It was incredibly moist and flavorful and matched really well with some roasted potatoes. Definitely a dinner win.

So today I think I go to about 50 points but I need to do a little more research on everything. As far as this week, I am overall pretty happy with how I’ve down. I did slack a little at the end of the week, but that just happens sometimes. I’ll be honest, I’m a little pessimistic about tomorrow’s weigh in. It might not be a massive number and I’m cool with that. At this point, this is more about sustainable change rather than Biggest Loser-style weight loss. For a while, I was going through spurts where I would lose 7 pounds and then gain 8 and then lose 6 and then gain 5. No more of that silliness. I guess we’ll see how it all turns out. See ya tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5: Food And Stuff

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It’s been a loooong day that included walking all over Tallahassee. I dropped our lovely Malibu Stacy at the shop and then walked to work. THEN I walked home. It was hot and humid, but bareable!
So needless to say, I’m pretty wiped and almost ready for bed. (And since the Cowboys didn’t pick Johnny Football in the NFL Draft, I have no reason to stay up any more…)
So really quickly…

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Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter-6 points

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Drink:Iced coffee. YERM!!! 4 points

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Lunch: Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom. Delicious as always 13 points

Dinner: Holy deliciousness, Batman!

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Tonight, we put the ridiculously awesome Cook’s Illustrated cook book she got for her birthday to go use. (Full disclosure: I bought it for her because she really wanted it. But I’m definitely benefiting from it :)) Tonight, grilled two pork tenderloins with a chili mustard spice rub. It was perfectly paired with some zukes and tots (I don’t actually talk like that. I’m not Guy Fieri….because…I have a soul.) Anyway, it was magical and I am soooo stoked to make pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers. 20 points

So I have 43 points on the board, but I think I might be missing a few things. Like I said…crazy day. Either way, I’m feeling pretty good about how I’m doing this week. Even if the scale doesn’t show it on Sunday, great habits are being made. See ya tomorrow.