And The Award For Best Supporting Role...

I have been doing this thing for 15 days officially, and it has felt like it's been a lot longer, but not in part due to the dozens of people helping me through this! From family, to Facebook, to Arnel's Six Pack Attack group, people from all edges of the world have been offering up bits of support!

It's honestly astonishing to me how people who don't even know me could be so nice, let alone how the people I know, but haven't talked to in ages could care less about my goals, or my interests. This, my friends is a true indication that there are in fact some pretty decent people in this world.

I want to thank everyone watching, and aiding... and adding comments, or tips! Because of my journey, there have been a few people to embark on weightloss journies of their own! That's fantastic! After all, the more, the merrier!

Specifically, 'sickofthegut', 'mejustme', 'abdominator', 'mannyrsx', and 'swimsean', thanks for taking time out of blogging your own stuff, to pop by mine and bring some of the 'Brothers in Arms' effect to my side of the water!

Thanks to all that have helped me, and continue to help!

In other news, I heard back about the job today! I am headed in on Friday to see them again, and it's apparently down to two of us! Exciting business! Hopefully it'll work out in my favor!

Also, another recipe:

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Baked Salmon Spinach and Pepper Salad

My first approach at a salad featuring Salmon... as it's supposed to be my new best friend, though I am still getting accustomed to its flavor!

Overall, I am happy with the way it looks, and the way the salmon tastes, but it can be better, so... I've adjusted the recipe to accomodate for the issues I discovered, and it should yield a pretty tasty salad.

On with the show...

• 7oz Washed Spinach


• 1x Salmon Filet


• 3Tbsp Light Mayo


• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice


• 1/4 Tsp Paprika


• 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon


• 1/4 Tsp Salt


• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper


• 1/8 Tsp Dried Basil


• 1 Small Red Pepper


• 1 Small Yellow Pepper


• 2 Small Green Peppers


• 1oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Drawing a Bath for the Salmon:

You're going to want to mix your ingrediants for the substance that you'll be backing your salmon in. Start by grabbing a small bowl, and putting your mayo in it. Then add your lemon juice, paprika, cinnamon, pepper, salt, and basil... stir with a spoon or whisk, until you can see the color change to a pink tone from the paprika. That's it! That was easy!

Preparing the Salmon:

First, remove the skin from your filet, if not done already. You can do this by setting the filet flesh side down on your board, and pulling the sharpest knife you have under the skin moving back towards you, all the while holding your palm on the skin, to force a good connection between the knife and the flesh. Don't use a sawing motion, do it in smooth strokes.

Once you've got the filet skinned, you're going to want to take out a piece of tin foil sized large enough to wrap the filet a few times. Lay this flat and rest your salmon on it. Once you have your salmon placed in the middle of the sheet closest to you, spread your mayo mixture on the opposite side of the filet, make it the same size as your filet, and then place your filet there. Cover the top and sides of the newly placed filet, and wrap it up as though you would a burrito.

Place your Foil wrapped salmon on your grill, and close the top. It can sit there for about ten minutes, maybe fifteen, depending on its size.

Preparing the Peppers:

After washing your peppers, cut them down the middle (from the top of the pepper), and use your thumb to pull the core out through the top of the pepper. Smack each half on your palm a few times firmly to remove any of the stubborn seeds hiding inside.

Once your peppers are clean and halved, all that remains in knife work is to cut them in a julienne fashion. Place each half with the cut side down, and draw your knife down from the top, to the bottom to create slices approximately 1/4"-3/8" in width.

Start a pan over low-medium heat with your olive oil in it. Dump the peppers into the pan, and season them with pepper and salt. let them spit away, and soften while stirring them occasionally, as you would with glazing onions. Once they're soft, move them to a plate with paper towl on it, to let some of the oil drain into the towel, and for it to cool. If it goes into your salad bowl still hot, it will cook the spinach underneath, and you'll get a slimey salad.

Finishing the Meal:

Well, you've got your plate, so grab a good handful of spinach leaves and place them in the bottom of the dish, mounding them. Once your peppers are cooled, they too can be plated. Place them around the spinach leaves, and head for the salmon. I cut my filet in half (it was skinny), and crossed it on top of the leaves.

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Hopefully you'll enjoy this meal, it's my least favorite out of the dishes I've made so far, but I guess when you're experimenting with cooking, you're bound to mess some up a bit!

Cheers, and thanks again for all the support!

Oh, The Drama!

It has been six days since my last confession...

Things are looking up! this week yielded some ups and downs... starting of course with the way I started the week, outlined in my previous post. Apparently on my night of 'fun'... I ended up smoking twice, and I must have gotten into a fight with a wall or something, because I caused some soft tissue damage to my left shoulder, leaving me unable to do the only exercise I was able to do, besides walking. I also got diagnosed with some kind of nasty inflamation to my hip, which means I need to go see a physiotherapist, and take Dicloflex tablets three times a day, every day for five weeks... hoping it will yield some decent results!

So after such a punishing start to my week, I had found four of the seven pounds I had lost, leaving my confidence a little more damaged! I was distressed in finding this out, and felt that the best way to come back from such a rouch start was to make it a great finish.

That being said, it's now the first day of week three, and I have dropped the four pounds I gained last week, and an additional pound. I've also noticed that since the start of this, I have lost a couple of trouser sizes, leaving me fitting a 34 right now, down from 38 at the beginning of September. I couldn't be happier about this, as I am starting to see the last notch in my belts, leaving me with the issue of having to get a smaller belt or two! It's a tough life!

I also had an interview on Friday that could change my career life as I know it, which I was looking forward to for quite some time... not only because of the impact that the job would have on my life, but also the fact that I would be able to try on, and hopefully fit in a suit I bought when I first arrived in Edinburgh, and wouldn't fit in, without sucking in my keg, and bringing a violet shade to my face. I am excited to announce that I was able to fit into the suit, and wear it all day with no discomfort... in fact, I found myself with a brand new confidence, strutting through the streets in Edinburgh dressed to the nines.

I won't hear back about the job for a wee while, but while I wait, I can sit back and enjoy the suit! I've taken a little bit of a new approach with my onion-skinned image idea... I figured there's not too much you can see when it's blurred, so I defined the line. The old stomach is the red line, and the new stomach is the blue line. I am actually surprised at how much mass I've missed, as I've only lost eight pounds or so!

I have been reading everyone else's blogs, and there's some stiff competition, and despite my situation, I am still going to be in this thing for the long haul! If this is what can be done in only two weeks, I'm completely taken back by the possibility of getting down to my goal weight of 180... much before my original (July) goal of Feb/08. Now I think I'll be hoping for 175 by Christmas. Wish me luck!

I don't have too much else to add for right now, so I'll leave with the latest images from my Week 2/3 progress.

Here's the newest onion-skinned shot... it looks as though I am losing some! :) Yay!

A Rough Start to Week 2!

I am now on day nine of my programme, and I am experiencing a bit of tough times. I broke my willpower, and had one too many drinks last night at a work-related/birthday shindig. It's a shame, because I've done so well in the opening days, and I've now given myself a nasty set back by doing this. I have also gone to bed extremely late the last two nights, so I've buggered up my sleeping patterns, as well as my eating routine. I've been good and kept up with my eating habits, but I've missed meals, and am feeling the ill feelings of doing this. I've lost no further weight over the weekend, so I'm still sitting at my 198lbs.

Alright, so I've vented my frustration. Now I can move on, learn from what I've done, and continue to shred the poundage, and build muscle! For that, I am glad.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people who are helping me through this by staying tuned to the blog, and the Facebook group. I now owe you guys an apology for the shitty behavior on my part! I look forward to getting back on track, and making things work better!

Alright, and now onto more tasty things! Here's another offering from my new menu...

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Soya Glazed Salmon Filet with Mixed Veg in a Garlic Basil Red Wine Reduction

From the point of view of someone who doesn't really fancy fish, and even less-so fishy fish, like salmon, I decided to come up with a way to make it taste a little more desirable. I figured that a nice glaze would probably give it the sweetness it's lacking, and the natural sugars in organic honey are pretty easy to deal with in terms of nutritional 'no-no's. This then, is the red-meat man's guide to making tasty salmon. Grab the ingredients listed below, and enjoy your dinner!

• 1 Salmon Filet
• 4-6 Broccoli Florettes
• 3-4 Medium Carrots
• 2oz Chinese Soya Sauce
• 9oz Red Wine
• 1 1/4 Tbsp Organic Honey
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/8 Tsp Black Pepper
• 6 Garlic Cloves
• 4-5 Fresh Basil Leaves

Prior to cooking, you should have your red wine, garlic and basil reducing... it takes a fair while to reduce, you want it almost syrupy in texture... a bit like a gravy. To infuse more basil flavour in the wine, make sure you bruise the leaves with the back of your knife a bit prior to placing them in the pan with the wine. It will also help to sweeten the mixture with a bit of your honey.

First, take your Salmon filet, remove the skin, as well as any bones that may still be hiding away inside the meat. You then marinate the filet in a mixture of soya sauce, organic honey, red wine, and garlic for about fifteen minutes, obviously, the longer the better though.

Then, while you're waiting for your salmon to marinate, prepare your veg! Cut them, and start them in your steamer, or boil them... whichever you prefer. Season them with salt and pepper, and have a clove or two of garlic in the water to flavour them a bit more.

Once they're off and away, move back to your salmon. You're going to want a fairly hot pan for the fish to go into, make sure the fish is covered with the glaze, and place it 'skin' side down in the hot pan. As it cooks, baste it with the remaining marinade, and pepper it. After a couple of minutes (depending on the size of your filet) you want to flip the fish, and start the other side. Make sure you glaze the newly cooked side as well, as it will help to keep some of the moisture in the fish. Another couple of minutes, and you're done.

Plate the salmon filet with a few julienne slices of fresh basil, and stack your veg to its side, dressing it with your red wine reduction.

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Sorry for an abbreviated version of the recipe, but I'm in a bit of a rush I'm afraid, so I'll have to end it at this. Enjoy the meal!

Week 1 Wrap Up

Today marks the final day in the first week of my program, and I am pleased to say that I am happy with my progress! I am surprised at what walking, and a healthy diet can do for you, because I haven't been able to put much effort into the HIIT, or Resistance training. Anyone therefore, who says that they can't exercise, and they're too big, or whatever. Cut the stuff, and get going on this thing, because I can tell you that with each passing day, my confidence is receiving a spark, and I am feeling great physically, and mentally!

This is my birthday dinner, a Cobb salad, made for me by my sister. I feel odd saying this, but I now look forward to meals like this! Another benefit to being me is that I am not a huge fan of sweets, especially chocolate. This made turning down a piece of my birthday cake really easy, as it was a toffee cake drenched in chocolate, and dressed with cubes of toffee. Ugly stuff!

I am really happy to see that I am affecting more people than just myself with this journey! I can't describe the feeling of offering motivation for other people around me! I started this thing with the inspiration given to me by someone else, and never thought I could be the same inspiration for others, especially when I haven't even finished my first week! I look forward to seeing everyone else's results, as it will provide me with even more drive!

On my way home from the hospital last night from visiting my Mum for my birthday dinner, I got the worst craving I've had in some time. Since I started this thing, it's been fairly easy to turn down the foods that I know are bad for my progress... but it hit me out of nowhere. I wanted a Meat Lovers pizza from Pizza Hut. The craving hit me so hard I could taste it, which helped because I at least got to taste the food without sacrificing the calories, and absorbing the metric tonnes of saturated fat lining every piece of that pizza. It's interesting however, that instead I had the salad pictured to the right, and enjoyed every bite of it! Healthy food can be tasty food too!

So onto my progress! I have decided that I am going to incorporate two new things in my blog to help me follow my accomplishments. I find that being able to see the results, and see the numbers is a good constant reminder that I am doing well, and accomplishing what I need to be in order to complete my goal.

The first of these new features will be an onion-skinned image of the weeks prior to show what has been accomplished in visual weight loss, and definition. For those of you who are not familiar with the term 'onion-skin', it describes an image that is superimposed onto another image as a transparent layer, so as to see the progression through various frames... in other words, you will see what I looked like last week, and this week on the same image.

The second feature will be located on the right hand side of the screen where my 'Current Status' is situated. Every week when I take my measurements, and weigh myself, I will be posting the difference between my starting values in brackets.

This then, is my first onion-skinned image! You can see that the main image is of my body entering the second week, You can also see a faint line next to my chest that represents the same body last week. If this is what has happened in one week, I can't wait to see what happens in the following fifteen!

I think I am measuring a bit inconsisently, as I believe the changes to be more than what they are, but there is a noticeable difference, which is all I really care about at this point!

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning to find out about my hip, so until then... I am keeping it easy, with solid walks, and a good diet. Hopefully I get good news and find out that it's something that can be easily remedied, in which case HIIT, and Resistance, here I come!

In closing for today, I'd like to share the newest set of images from the end of week one. Enjoy! I can't wait to see other people posting their progress too!

Happy Birthday Me!

Heya guys! Today is my 22nd birthday, so I've apparently given myself a good gift! I seem to have broken the 200lb mark this morning, as I jumped on this funny UK scale and had it tell me that I weigh 90kgs, which according to Google means that I am 198.416036 lbs. That, I like! That being said, I just finished an eight hour day at work, as well as a half hour walk in a heavy suit, which means I am probably at my lowest possible weight, which is alright for me, because I still beat that 200 mark!

So with my second post, I thought I would add another picture. I've been asked a fair bit about the food I am eating on this 'diet' (I'll get to that later). What I figured I would do was take a picture of every dinner that I have, so as to show you guys that eating healthy can be fun as well. It doesn't just have to be barebone ingredients on a plate! Without further ado then, I present my first dish.
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Garlic Mustard Turkey Breast over a Broccoli Risotto

This, my latest conception is an effort to include a very lean protein, a decent fibrous starchy carb, as well as a complex carb (the broccoli). In order to make this dish... you need the following:

• 1 Turkey Breast
• 1oz GOOD Dijon Mustard (get a good peppery one!) 1-2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Shallot
• 1/4 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Brown/Basmati Rice
• 1 1/2 Cups Water
• 1 Small Head Broccoli
• 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Cup White Wine (Cheap... it's just for cooking!)

Preparing the Turkey Breast:

Place the turkey breast in a non-metal bowl with the dijon, the cracked pepper, a diced shallot, and the diced garlic cloves. Cover said bowl with cling film, and tuck it away in the fridge. Give it some time to make love with the marinade (it's more private in the back of the fridge, and with the light off... so door closed!

Also, it would be wise at this point, or shortly after to turn on the grill, and get it preheated. A George Foreman style grill is an asset, as you don't need to worry about the temp, just get it going!

Preparing the Risotto:

Next up you're going to want start a small saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil coating the bottom. Add your rice granules, and stir well to cover them with the oil bath. Try not to leave it too long! It will burn the rice, and murder your pot! Let it relax until the rice is glistening, and happy... and you can smell a bit of a toasted smell (sort of like popcorn, yet less evident because of the oil as opposed to butter being used). Once this happens, add your water, but be careful the pot is not too hot, as oil and water really don't mix, especially at high heats! Stir the rice, and make sure it doesn't stick together too much. Cover the saucepan, and turn the heat up a bit.

*Tip* Place a layer or two of paper towel between the pan and the lid, as it helps remove the harmful effect of the steam turning your rice mushy.

Once the rice is starting to cook, start preparing your broccoli. Make sure it's washed, and you remove the stem. You want to each florette in half in an effort to make each piece about 3/4 of an inch in size. Once the water is starting to evaporate and be absorbed by the rice, place the chicken stock in the pan, as well as the broccoli florettes. You may then add the paprika. At this point, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the rice reduce further, and once you're starting to see it go creamy, and bubble like it's running out of liquid, add half of the wine to your pan. Wait for the wine to heat up, and start stirring.

*Tip* When making a risotto, ensure that you are paying good attention to it. You want to be stirring it constantly, for two reasons... it will help the wine/stock find air, and pan which will help it evaporate, and it will also keep the rice from sticking, which should be the definiteion of a risotto... creamy, not clumped!

Once the mixture reduces even further, and is looking a bit thirsty, add the last of the wine, and keep stirring. Ideally, you should add the stock/wine slowly, while stirring to ensure it heats slowly, and doesn't shock the starch in the mixture. Once you've added the last of the wine, put your turkey breast on your preheated grill and watch it sizzle. If your grill has no lid, then cook the bottom until 1/3 of the breast appears to be cooked, and then flip it. If you want the diamond score marks, make sure when you flip it the second time that you align the breast properly with the grill. In between flips, make sure you're back on the risotto, cuddling it with your spoon to ensure maximum creaminess!

By the time your turkey breast is finishes cooking on the grill, your risotto should be done, and be ready to be plated. Place it on your plate, and cut your turkey breast into 3/8" strips. Once the turkey is ready, plate half of the breast 45° adjacent to the other half, as pictured. Finish with a fine graiting of parmesan for a true risotto taste, and a small basil leaf sprig.
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So now that I've finished with my pretend cooking show, I would like to offer a thanks to all of the people dropping by and posting comments, as well as all the wonderful people supporting me via Facebook. It's friends like you guys that make me accountable for every action I take, and I look forward to rewarding you, as well as myself with the body I've always wanted.

I also look forward to seeing some familiar faces dropping the pounds with me, as some have expressed their interest in joining me in a journey of their own! Good luck guys!

Thanks also to all those who wished me a happy birthday!

Cheers!

Evan

Bananas in Big Pajamas

So I am a big dude... if you didn't know, now you do! I am 5'10", and I currently weigh 205lbs. I am on Day Four of a sixteen week program that is designed to kill people, or produce some of the most amazing results you've seen in fat-body turn-around!

I have started this blog, because I feel it is key to motivating me by holding myself accountable. I hope, that because of the Blog, I can use your (my friends) help to motivate me. I want you to look at the photos that I am going to post and think what I think you think. A less wordy version of the prior statement: I look like shite, I know that, now you really know that. There's no hiding anymore!

Ultimately the goal is to be champion of the Six-Pack Abs Challenge (www.iwantsixpackabs.com/6packattack). Personally though, I want to accomplish the goal I've had for way too many years now... I want to see my willy again! All joking aside, I am disgusted with the way I look, and with the aid of this blog, and your comments, and the mutual motivation, I think I will come through these sixteen weeks looking like something that will impress me, and hopefully help some people realise that results are obtainable with the right diet, and enough exercise intensity.

It will be through this blog that I will publish my weekly, and sometimes daily results, complete with updated pictures.

If anyone has any questions, let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them!

For now, on with the pictures. :(

Day 1/112: