Responsibility 199, what is it?

Responsibility 199 is a belief; I believe that to be healthy and to increase my longevity I need to weigh 199 pounds or less...
Responsibility 199 is a need; I need to reduce my weight, reduce my percentage of body fat, and the elevated threat of disease my present condition presents...
Responsibility 199 is a mission; I recognize that achieving 199 will be a challenge, perhaps the hardest I have ever undertaken...
Responsibility 199 is a commitment; I acknowledge that I must commit to action, commit to change, commit to myself and those I love to achieve this mission, to increase my longevity...
Responsibility 199 is ME.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Good Start, Good Bird

First full week of this the 10th month of 2011. October is always a month of tectonic demand for our time, patience and sense of humor. Our family has six birthdays to celebrate, our kids make up half of them. Hunting season resumes so we have deer & turkey to harvest. The kids have school events to attend. Hockey season resumes so we have a Hockey game to go to. Tectonic I tell you!

In honest reflection of my mission here, it was this time last year my progress slowed to a point of inconsistent ups and downs beginning a string of months of clumsy maintenance. Was is the increased external demands of the final months of the year which contributed to that result? Certainly it did influence it, but, the result was something I allowed. Had I stayed sharp mentally and kept my mission prioritized properly the result would have been better.

That learned experience is a tool I now have to use my quest to emerge from the final months of this year healthier, happier and handsome. No tool is useful if not used, and proper prioritization of my own mission with all else October brings is the only way this quest will succeed.

Thanks to the challenges I've joined (Go The Distance and Fall 31 Day) I am off to a good start this month. Each of the first two days saw me get in a couple of miles of combined walk/jog activity. Yesterday I also put in an hour in the gym working on upper body pulling exercises.

Exercise is good, very good. But we all know sustained weight loss or maintenance is a combination of exercise & diet. So on the diet front I'm off to a good start too. I won't bore you (or myself) with a list of everything I have eaten. But I will share a dish I had fun with. We need to remind ourselves that when food is fun we use food more successfully. Oh, to be clear, having fun with food does not mean 'food-fight' fun, but rather using fun creatively and outside of the norms that most dull diets prescribe.

Saturday's dinner was Bacon & Apple Roasted Pheasant:
Raw pheasant ready for some loving attention...

Spices, soy sauce & water will become marinade in no time...

Two pheasants marinade the day away...

Each marinaded pheasant gets stuffed w/ apple & hit w/ apple wood seasoning...

Trussed, draped in bacon (I was told I needed to use more bacon), these are ready for bagging...

Oven roaster bags work on pheasants & birds of all kinds...

Ninety minutes later we have Apple/Bacon Roasted Pheasant...

And the final photo is the one way up at the top of the post, my dinner plate; Breast of Pheasant w/ Salsa Dressed Romaine Salad. A mighty tasty and healthy meal it was.

Are you off to a good start this October ?



Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

12 comments:

  1. Patrick, yes, ya got to have consistency for the weight to come off & stay off & food is at least 75-80% of the equation. Although, long term maintenance needs both & all studies prove that.

    Keep up the good work!

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  2. Mmmmmm...that looks so good! I'm off to an OK start. I'm hoping that October bring a newfound motivation and success to both of us.

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  3. That looks great - bacon wrapped anything - but especially that!

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  4. Yep, off to a good start. Can't believe it is October already!

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  5. Yummy! Good news that October is going well so far. Keep up the good work!

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  6. Hi Patrick. Good to see you around. I'm in the 31 Day Challenge and making the most of it so far - a good start.

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  7. Way to Chef it up Patrick my friend...I'm back...hopefully for awhile this time...been too long.

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  8. that Pheasant looks delicious! And I love that you learned from your experience last October and are using those lessons to make this October successful. *high five*

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  9. It's bacon wrapped pheasant! Who woulda though I woulda come across this today. Hi Patrick! xo

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  10. This bird is looking very yummy.
    Hope you are doing well. I miss your posts but I kind of know how it gets sometimes. I don't always feel like blogging either. If I don't 'see' you before Thanksgiving, I want to wish you happy and healthy holidays.

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  11. I miss you, Patrick. I wish you would come back to us. Hope all is well.

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  12. I haven't visited in a good while~my weight loss identity was Pretty Pauline. I didn't do so well and am now bigger than before! But I'm on it again, thought of you, and came by to check in. You haven't posted in a bit~hope you are well!!!!

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