I hate the Stairmaster

The Stairmaster. The medieval torture device of the gym. Part rack, part thumbscrews, all pain. If you asked me if I would rather be waterboarded or be put on the Stairmaster for half an hour, I'd say "agua por favor", although I don't know why I'd be speaking Spanish. Maybe it would be to throw off my cruel captors.

I did weights and abs for about an hour, and needed to get home for my wife, so I had to get as good of a workout as I could in my final half an hour. That meant only one thing: the Stairmaster. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my body usually revolts at the beginning of any workout, but then gets something akin to Stockholm Syndrome and goes along with the program. Even in my worst shape this condition allows me to demonstrate unusual stamina, and close strong in whatever I do. But on the Stairmaster, I don't get Stockholm Syndrome. I get Mr. T syndrome - all pain all the time.

The sweat that poured out of me was insane - I think people near me feared the roof above me was leaking. It also got me thinking about dietary injustice. I'll explain the concept simply:

1 doughnut = 200 calories.
15 minutes on the Stairmaster = 200 calorie burn.

What a cruel world we live in where that horrific punishment is levied on the crime of eating a delicious fried and glazed pastry!

Anyway, I lost a full pound torturing myself at the gym today, starting at 230 even and finishing at 229.

Today was especially brutal because I had to make dinner for family coming over. So after a shower it was right out to the grocery store where I had my baby tethered to my chest for 90 minutes of additional exercise, and then I was on my feet in the kitchen for 3 hours. My back is pretty thoroughly destroyed right now, I'm glad tomorrow is my off day.

I didn't figure out the caloric content in dinner, I probably went off the diet a little as my mom was kind enough to provide a beautiful prime rib roast for the main meat (although I had a very reasonable portion and trimmed the fat, so I was probably close to dietary parameters). One of the side dishes was a potato and celery root mash - mixing 50% celery root into mashed potatoes significantly cuts calories, provides additional nutrition, and adds a great freshness to it. Oven roast them together until soft in just a touch of olive oil and salt, and then mash together with hand blender in a cup of milk and sufficient stock until creamy. Note: I used one giant celery root and 3.5 pounds of potatoes, so the resulting dish served about 12 easily. Toss in a tablespoon of carmelized shallots and some optional horseradish (I actually found some fresh wasabi, which was incredible in the potatoes), and you have a tasty and lighter side dish. Remember to watch the portions, about a cup of the mash should be about 200 calories or so nearest I can figure it.

By the way, special props to Jasper's restaurant. My wife and I went there last night with my family members that were in town. Even though Jasper's makes good southern style cuisine, which isn't traditionally very healthy, they make very nice portions of food that are well balanced, so you can actually get a healthyish meal. Plus the food is delicious, which never hurts. Philosophically, if I'm going out, I'll accept "close enough" on the diet. I figure living a monastically gastronomic existence is worth a little pleasure every now and then, as long as I don't go crazy and destroy all my hard work.