The Sweet Taste of Defeat

Remember earlier when I discussed winning two bets last week in regards to weight loss? It appears I was a little quick on the draw calling one of them a victory.

Turns out my friend in Austin, silent about his weight loss activities, had not as I previously surmised failed in his quest to beat me in our contest. On the contrary, he was completely dedicated to the program, surreptitiously, and working his way toward impressive weight loss achievements on his own.

His initial plan of attack was as I had surmised - wait for me to get bored and then eventually win, maybe. But somehow he figured out I was serious about this whole thing (I don't know how he did that, maybe because I blog about it or something) and decided he wasn't going to be beat. And he didn't let himself lose.

We met at the gym this morning, me for my normal Wednesday weights-then-cardio routine and him for his apparently normal cardio routine. We then weighed in - I was at 222.4, or exactly 20 less than when I started this program (17.6 from the start of the bet) and he then revealed he'd dropped 19 pounds since the start of the bet. As it turns out mu claims of victory last week were very premature, and I lost.

I've never been happier to lose a bet in my life.

To be honest, there isn;t much more I could have done to lose more weight. Maybe skip a glass of wine or so, but I did everything I could to lose weight the right way. So I have no shame in my loss. It was especially rewarding to me to lose though as my friend described to me his journey.

He had been spending an hour a day at the gym, working to keep his body in fat burning mode. At first, it was only so he wouldn't lose to me, and it was only because of the bet, and because I demonstrated a seriousness to succeed that he got into it so hard. But then he started to transform, adopt the lifestyle, and he really wants to make the transformation permanent. He's incorporated exercise and diet consciousness into his daily life as a result of this. He wants to carry this forward and be healthier permanently, which is awesome. I'm proud that he did this, and it looks like I now have another running partner who wants to take on new challenges.

Good day all around.

By the way, working out in the morning is a new thing for me. In the past, I've had issues getting up early to exercise. I've had physical issues, and I've had a hard time peeling myself off the sheets. Today, however, it seemed to work pretty nicely. Energy was a little low, but I got through it, even spending a half an hour on the dreaded stairmaster.

Dinenr tonight was turkey tenderloin penne with eggplant and zucchini. Recipe as follows:

1 turkey breast tenderloin (400 calories)
1/2 large eggplant, cubed (40 calories)
1 large zucchini, cubed (50 calories)
1/4 red onion, cubed
1/4 cup roasted tomatoes roughly chopped (100 calories or so)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp olive oil (60 calories)
3-4 piquillo peppers roughly chopped
Splash sherry
Splash balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp thyme, minced
basil, italian parsley, and fennel chiffonaded
2 servings penne (400 calories)

In cast iron skillet brown turkey tenderloin covered in S&P on one side until nicely brown, then flip and transfer to oven set at 400. Roast until done, about 12 minutes, manbe longer - poke test to feel for firmness.

In nonstick pan roast eggplant over medium heat without oil until it browns and starts to collapse (add a pinch of salt to assist). Add zucchini to pan and brown until it goes from white to yellow/brown and is softer and nicely done (cooked, not mushy). Remove from pan and set aside. Add the olive oil and then cook the onions, garlic, and thyme until the onion is translucent. Add sherry, balsamic, tomatoes, and peppers, and then add the eggplant and zucchini. Toss together and incorporate.

Boil pasta in salted water a minute or so shy of doneness according to box. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the eggplant, etc. and toss together, adding about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Slice the rested turkey breast into thin segments and add ot pasta, toss to incorporate makign sure to add all the juices from the cutting board to the pasta

Makes 2 healthy sized servings, 550 or so calories per.