Back Down to 192.6. It’s Time to Begin Cooking

My weight has held steady over the past few weeks, which is good and bad.  It’s good, because I haven’t gained.  It’s bad, because I would like to see it decline.

My exercise has been very good.  I ran over 4 miles yesterday and am gradually increasing my speed.  I also downloaded the new Nike+ GPS application for my iPhone.  If you have an iPhone 4 and are a runner, I suggest you pay the $1.99 to get it.  The app measures speed and distance without the sensor you needed before.  With the exception of heart rate, it functions very similar to a Garmin “watch” I bought a few years back for $299.

As I’ve written before, my dieting challenges occur on the weekends and on weekday evenings.  I’m good from breakfast up to dinner on work days.  Perhaps the solution lies in preparing more food in advance?

As Mrs. Spidey can tell you, I’ve started watching a lot of cooking shows on TV:  Top Chef, Top Chef Just Desserts, The Next Iron Chef, Master Chef, and Hell’s Kitchen, just to name a few.  I know I can’t come close to these guys, but I’ve wondered whether I can cook beyond punching numbers on a microwave.

I trudged out to Border’s today and looked at cookbooks.  It was overwhelming.  (I smartly ate lunch just before going!)  I looked at Gordon Ramsey and at Rachel Ray and others.  While they made the processes simple, none of them listed out serving sizes or calories.  I ended up buying two cookbooks, including one from the American Heart Association, which listed out the serving sizes and nutritional values for each recipe.

So, I told Mrs. Spidey I was going to cook tonight.  And, as soon as I finish this post, I’m off to the kitchen.  I’m making Tex-Mex Mac ‘n’ Cheese, which is on page 113 of the American Heart Association’s book “Healthy Family Meals.”  I know it’s not gourmet, but I have to start somewhere.  (The other book I bought is the Cooking Light Complete Cookbook, although I didn’t get the one with the DVD.)

I will post next week to give an update as to how my cooking is going and whether my family is surviving.