Diet Day 4 - 528 Days to go!

Having some issues with my back, not sure where this came from; don't usually have any issues with my back. Feels like a muscle strained, may from bringing in luggage from return from Edisto Beach SC. Was supposed to help cook at church tonight (we feed 500 on a weekly basis), but took to bed instead.

Ended up with no meat today. Didn't really plan it that way, just the way it ended up. In reviewing todays totals, it's clear that no meat and all vegetables has moved the fiber up (good), potassium up (good), cholesterol down (good), total fat way down (good), sodium down (good). So everything is moving in the right direction!

Not sure that I've said this, but I'm trying to stay with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned. In looking at the labels vs USDA specs for a vegetable, there has frequently additional sugar and salt (sodium). That has been a real eye-opener, particularly with the amount of added salt.

I'm not adding any salt to anything. For right now, my wife is avoiding using it in any cooking, and I'm not adding any at the table.

We picked up a couple of steaks tonight to cook on Saturday. We plan on having beef once per week. USDA guidelines call for 1.8 oz per day, which can be consumed on a weekly event basis, which would mean 12.5 ounces. I don't typically eat more than 10 ounces, so I'll be under the USDA beef allocation for the week. I also picked up a bottle of wine for that steak dinner, which when shared with my wife, will result in 2 glasses for each of us, or in line with Alton Brown's Diet 2 alcohol servings per week.

Breakfast: 488 Calories
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup dried golden raisens
1 cup FatFreee Milk

Lunch: 236 Calories
1 cup Smoothie #1 (see post -2 days back for composition)
1 cup Pinto Beans
1 plate (1 lb by weight) of equal portions of spinach, squash, zucchini, asparagus

Dinner: 597 Calories
1/2 cup candied yams
1.5 cups corn
1 cup lima beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup fatfree milk

Daily Total: 1321 Calories
Daily percents
88% calories (target 1500)
14% Total fat
85% carbs
154% fiber
100% potassium
31% sodium
4.6% cholesterol

So far, I'm still staying with a full feeling, which to me is totally odd. I think the inclusion of milk is doing this, even though it is fat free. So far, I have not had any temptations to snack or over eat.

Saturday, I plan on weighting, and posting weekly results. I plan on doing this every week. I also plan on adding a blood pressure reading at that time, as I want to see if this will bring down my blood pressure any (I'm on medication for this problem right now).