Leftovers -- 190 lbs (-39) [5X]

I planned to finish off just the Teacher's last night, as it looked to have at least a third cup left; so I was surprised when it only filled two-thirds of a third cup. At the end of the night, I thought I'd have what looked like two-thirds of a third cup of remaining Cutty Sark, but it easily filled a third cup with possibly as much left over (I dare not guess again). The bottles are different colors/shapes and maybe Teacher's has a slightly thicker bottom, but at the end of the day I have absolutely no skill at estimated the volume of a bottle. I decided to pass on the Cutty Sark until breakfast.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 2.5 tbsp & 2 tsp fiber
● 4.5 oz pouch StarKist Tuna Creations (Lemon Pepper)
● .22 cup Teachers Highland
● .55 cup Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● 12 oz Archer Farms frozen veggies w/ grated mozzarella & cheddar
● Big slice garlic bread w/ grated mozzarella
● .75 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● 10.5 oz Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup

Progress Photo -- 190 lbs (-39) [4X]

I was really hoping to be back in the 80's today. Maybe tomorrow.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .32 cup Teachers Highland
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● 3 slices Boboli pizza tops w/ 3 turkey meatballs
● Small portion of spaghetti w/ sauce, 2 turkey meatballs, & grated parmesan

Keep Walking -- 190 lbs (-39) [3X]

Finally got to Johnnie Walker Red yesterday, pretty much the global standard for blended scotch, but a bit pricy so I bought the cute 375 ml bottle. Johnnie is another scotch I fondly remember from my grandparent's liquor display, with the cool striding man and square bottle. The squareness was a brilliant marketing strategy to reduce breakage and fit more bottles on store shelves. It's good stuff, but costs extra for the brand. If anyone out there cares to sponsor me, I'd gladly drink more of it, but until then, I'll walk other ways.



What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● .1 cup Grant's
● 2.5 oz Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy Chile Chicken w/ 1 tbsp whiskey (no noodles)
● 1.65 Johnnie Walker Red
● 2 slices Boboli pizza tops
● 22 Fritos corn chips
● 3-egg omelet w/ cheddar cheese, bacon, & Red Robin-seasoned ground beef
● 6 Kroger tater bites
● .32 cup Absinthe Ordinaire
● Red Robin corn dog (w/ half the corn)

Cutty Sark -- 190 lbs (-39) [2X]

I was so dreading yesterday.

I've lived my whole life with powerful memories (accurate or not) of the men on my mother's side of the family drinking Cutty Sark. For the most part, they were all Bostonian, Jewish, and executive shoe salesmen, so I'm not sure what combination of those things had an affinity with Cutty Sark, but I got the impression that that scotch ran deep in that part of the family. I have fond memories (accurate or not) of my grandfather, Poppy, drinking Cutty Sark every evening when I stayed with my grandparents during the summer when I was like 5 and 6. Poppy tragically died a few years later, but my grandmother continued to keep the Cutty Sark, Johnnie Walker, Drambui, and other Scottish liquors proudly displayed in her dining/living room, and I always thought of Poppy when I saw them.

So including Cutty Sark, which is probably the coolest sounding brand name in the world, in my diet was an obligatory rite of passage, but when I tried Cutty Sark earlier this week, it tasted so horribly bitter that I couldn't even finish half of the .08 cup and I almost threw up. But with all the personal baggage of this scotch, I had to find a way to power through it yesterday. Amazingly, my first dram in the morning tasted fine. Good, even. My earlier experience was Grant's followed by Cutty Sark, which was clearly a very bad sequence (for me). I went on to drink nothing but Cutty Sark all day, not watered down or anything, and I believe that part of my family's honor and tradition has been preserved.

Thanks, Poppy et al, for the deep-rooted emotional attachment.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 2.5 cups Cutty Sark
● 4 baby carrots
● 2 bites frosted sugar cookie
● Red Robin Ensenada chicken platter (1 breast)
● .3 Red Robin bbq bacon cheeseburger
● 15 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels w/ Jif peanut butter

Tastes Like Gasoline -- 191 lbs (-38) [5X]

It's obvious that I love whisky and whiskey, but it is perhaps less obvious that I have slowly developed that love over the last 10 years, most of that in the last 5, and it has only become an obsession since I started this diet. Most of my life, whisky/whiskey tasted like gasoline, and if I drank it, it was heavily on the rocks or mixed, and to get drunk. I had the great fortune to join a rock band about 6 years ago, and for about 2 years was immersed in a bourbon and scotch culture. In this context, whisky/whiskey was more of a fuel for energy-demanding performance as well as a creativity stimulus. I started to appreciate, to a limited extent, the differences between different brands, and genuinely liked some of them (especially Evan Williams and Bushmills). After the band split up, I settled into Evan Williams because it was the best long-term value, and I kept mostly to it until a few months ago. This diet has unexpectedly led me to expand beyond my base of Evan Williams to keep things interesting, and I have found whisky/whiskey to be a wonderfully complex yet subtle world capable of sustaining a lifetime of exploration. I've come a long way since "tastes like gasoline". Thanks, Trick Mode, for breaking me in.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ .24 cup whiskey
● 2 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .32 cup Teachers Highland
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● Bowl of lettuce w/ Newman's Own lite Italian dressing
● 2 slices Boboli pizza w/ lots of Red Robin-seasoned ground beef
● .32 cup Canadian Club Reserve 10 Yr
● 12 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels

190 lbs (-39)

My Ironman weight scale is now telling me that my metabolic age is 45. Oh, Ironman, you flatterer, you!

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 2 12 oz Bud Light Lime
● .32 cup Teachers Highland
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● Cup salad w/ whatever dressing they use in teriyaki restaurants
● Himitsu Teriyaki vegi stir fry w/ chicken
● .32 cup Absinthe Ordinaire
● 10 Rold Gold pretzels

Teacher Me More -- 191 lbs (-38) [4X]

Apparently, Teacher's was the first popular bottled alcohol to use stopper corks (http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/article/145-Whisky_in_The_Garioch.html). The inventor, William Manera, was Adam Teacher's nephew. Their ad slogan was "Bury the Corkscrew", which played to the high-risk dangers of using cork screws. This rings true even in these modern times, as portrayed in this video:



Oddly enough, someone has written a book about the history of corkscrews:



What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 2 tsp fiber
● 24 oz Bud Light & Clamato
● .32 cup Teachers Highland
● 1 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● Small flour tortilla w/ Red Robin-seasoned ground beef & grated cheddar
● Red Robin-seasoned ground beef w/ lettuce, grated cheddar, and salsa
● .5 cup Absinthe Ordinaire

Why Is It Green? -- 191 lbs (-38) [3X]

I've included absinthe (aka "the green fairy") in my diet because it symbolized a deliberate denial of normal life and its obligations around the turn of the 20th century, and that speaks to what I am trying to accomplish with this diet (and I need a break from whisky now and then).

Absinthe was an inspiration for the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain. It somehow became associated with the ills of society and was banned in the early 1910's--it was not allowed back into the United States until 2007! That some of society's worst atrocities have occurred during the ban, I make no comment.

The big question amongst the family today was "why is it green?". Absinthe Ordinaire claims to be closest to the original recipe (minus the controversial thujone) and is distilled from Wormwood, Star Anise, Sweet Balm, Mugwort, and Peppermint. It is turned green by soaking some of these herbs in the product of the distillation (it is clear if this step is omitted).

What I consumed yesterday (vacation day):
● .08 cup Grant's Scotch
● .04 cup Cutty Sark (egad, too bitter for me!)
● .49 cup Teachers Highland
● .25 cup Canadian Club Reserve 10 Yr
● .50 cup Teachers Highland
● 17 Cheez-Its
● 12 big beef/sausage stuffed ravioli w/ grated parmesan & spaghetti sauce (I almost stopped here)
● .75 cup Absinthe Ordinaire (the last .25 mixed with water, which adds a bit of fun for you to discover)
● 12 oz Archer Farms frozen asparagus stir fry w/ parmesan & 2 turkey meatballs

Distilled Earth -- 192 lbs (-37) [4X]

I've found that Grant's makes an excellent whisky for base comparisons. I discovered that a couple days ago when dipping into the Teachers Highland. Compared to Grant's lack of character (or my inability to detect it), Teachers tasted complex, deep, semi-sweet and earthy. Yesterday, when I went straight to the Teachers, I did not have as dramatic an experience. This morning, I confirmed that a small starter of Grant's enhanced the flavor of Teachers for me. They make a good couple, and I do believe I shall make it my quest to find more.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 5.5 oz V8 juice
● .65 cup Roederer Estate brut champagne
● .32 cup Teachers Highland
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● 12 big beef/sausage stuffed ravioli w/ grated parmesan & spaghetti sauce (should have stopped here)
● Small portion of spaghetti w/ 2 small slices garlic bread & 2 turkey meatballs
● 9 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels

Grant's -- 191 lbs (-38) [2X]

According to proof66.com anyway, Grant's Family Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky ranks in the top 10%. That is a bit surprising, not because it is inexpensive (Grant's was the next step up from Lauder's at Safeway), but because the taste walks a fine line between smooth and weak. Grant's website claims that an equal part water releases the flavor, but adding water just made it taste like Lauder's to me. I would say, in my unprofessional opinion, that it is to scotch what Evan Williams is to bourbon, but relatively more expensive. In other words, I would drink it like water (without the water) if it was cheaper.

I will duly note, however, that the shape of the bottle is pretty darn cool. It reminds me of the Flatiron Building in New York City, so it deserves points for presentation.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Coffee w/ 3 tbsp absinthe & 2 tsp fiber (seemed like a clever idea, but this was not good)
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● .96 cup Grant's Scotch
● 1 cup shredded home-grown carrots
● .32 cup Teachers Highland (I've got some kind words for this!)
● 6 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels & 6 pretzel M&M's
● .25 cup Grant's Scotch w/ equal part water (meh)
● .75 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● McDonald's grilled chicken CBO sandwich
● 25 McDonald's french fries
● 2 Taco Time mexi-fries
● 6 pieces chicken from Taco Time fit-hit bowl
● .25 cup Absinthe Ordinaire (it's a fine way to end the day)

191 lbs (-38)

Good alcohol surfing yesterday. I shot the tube and bodaciously carved around some gnarly shopping & home temptations. And no wipeouts!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 1 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 2 bites McDonalds plain cheeseburger
● Chocolate coin
● .5 cup Grant's Scotch
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube pinot noir
● Jade Dragon garlic chicken wings w/ grilled onions
● Cabbage & grated cheddar cheese
● Cheddar cheese cubes & 5 mini pretzels
● .25 cup Absinthe Ordinaire

The Edge Of Control -- 192 lbs (-37) [3X]

"So what is the role of alcohol in this diet?", a colleague asked yesterday. A mighty fine question for which I've done a mighty poor job of answering thus far.

A few diets, such as the Banting Diet and Drinking Man's Diet prominently feature alcohol, as well as diets that have been practiced by contemporaries such as Lady Gaga and Christian Bale, but mine is decidedly different. These other diets include food restrictions, carb and/or calorie counting, and/or exercise--none of which would work for me. Instead, I use alcohol as a tool to avoid all of these things.

As mentioned previously, I practice a form of "intermittent fasting". Usually, intermittent fasting involves consuming no calories for at least 16 hours, and while I do this sometimes, it can get uncomfortable. I find that alcohol in moderate doses does a fabulous job of turning the discomfort of hunger into an enhanced pleasure, and that whisky has a mental simulation effect beyond that. This is no secret--whisky drinkers have known this for hundreds of years. It is also no secret that alcohol in excess leads to all sorts of bad effects, the least of which is over-eating, so you can see where drinking to lose weight takes a certain amount of discipline, and is not even an option for many people's situations.

So anyone who thinks this diet is about getting drunk is mistaken. It is about riding the edge of control for maximum gain, like a tow-in surfer, formula racer, base jumper, or anyone that wants to push the limits of what is possible. But I'm not remotely as crazy or skilled as these extreme sport folks. It is rare that I pull off the perfect whisky diet day--if you go over my consumption logs you can see that I've over-eaten on many occasions--and yet, I have achieved impressive weight gains in spite of my follies. While I am certain someone more disciplined could do much better, a more rapid weight loss may be too much strain on the body, so perhaps I am striking the right balance here. Perhaps the key to a successful whisky diet is riding the crest of hunger, alcohol, and feasting--let's call it "alcohol surfing".

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey & 2 tsp fiber
● 3 cups syrah (I forgot to note the brand)
● 5 buffalo chicken drumettes w/ small cuts of assorted cheese
● .6 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● 4 slices Boboli pizza w/ 3 slices bacon
● Apple slice dipped in Jif peanut butter

Grocery List -- 192 lbs (-37) [2X]

I'm a bit excited to place my Total Wine order of (mostly) blended scotch today for pick-up tomorrow. Here's what's on the menu (in order of sampling):

● Grant's Scotch
● Teachers Highland
● Cutty Sark
● Johnnie Walker Red
● Chivas Regal
● Canadian Club Reserve 10 Yr
● Monarch of the Glen 12yr
● Absinthe Ordinaire (actually, this will be spread throughout)

Should make for a fun 4+ weeks!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey & 2 tsp fiber
● .96 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● 12 oz Archer Farms frozen Mediterranean blend w/ parmesan, swiss cheese, & turkey meatball
● Small plate spaghetti w/ sauce, 2 turkey meatballs, & shaved parmesan
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● Slice Boboli pizza

The Drinking Man's Diet -- 193 lbs (-36) [3X]

At one point, I was going to rename this blog to “The Drinking Man's Diet”, but then I stumbled upon a book with the same title. Apparently, "The Drinking Man's Diet" was a diet fad in the mid-sixties (claiming to be the first low-carb diet, but really the Banting diet was). It was a scrawny little book that sold well over 2 million copies in 13 languages in 3 years until a Harvard nutritionist called the diet “mass murder” in the press. Although the diet is highly criticized, the fellow who wrote the book, Robert Cameron, lived it for 98 years—outliving Robert Atkins, who practiced the no-alcohol version, by over 25 years (he died of a heart attack at 73)!

So you see, those of you who think I’m killing myself should think again. Combining the weight loss effects of a low-carb diet with the reduction in heart disease associated with alcohol consumption makes some sense. It worked for Robert Cameron, anyway.



What I consumed yesterday:
● 48 oz Bud Light
● 10 tortilla chips w/ bean dip & salsa
● 12 oz Budweiser Select
● .5 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● .65 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● Bowl of lettuce w/ Newman's Own lite Italian dressing
● 4 slices Boboli pizza w/ taco-seasoned ground beef

3-Month Anniversary -- 193 lbs (-36) [2X]

Three months down, nine to go! I see myself hitting my goal around the end of November (if Halloween & Thanksgiving don't throw me off), then shifting into more of a maintenance mode. Not sure exactly what that will look like yet, but I expect it to be something like a day of feasting followed by a few days of whisky dieting. So-o looking forward to that!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 5.5 oz V8 juice
● 2 mini Mr. Goodbar's
● .33 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● 1.25 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● Himitsu Teriyaki vegi stir fry w/ chicken
● 15 Goldfish crackers
● 15 Rold Gold tiny twist pretzels

Lauder's -- 194 lbs (-35) [3X]

Halloween candy sweetness
T'is very very bad
tooth decay
me want to die now

--Haiku about Lauder's by Jason Debly

My unexpected new-found love of scotch has me wanting to never go another day without a dram, so I went to Safeway to find something cheap until I can get to Total Wine to stock up on a better variety. In fact, I'm planning to do something of a tour of blended scotch whiskies, so what better place to start than at the bottom, with Lauder's, which is exactly where the scotch-savvy place it. Pathetically, Lauder's doesn't taste that bad to me at this stage in my palette development--just a bit watery.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey
● 12 oz Budweiser Select
● .56 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● .75 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● Taco-seasoned ground beef w/ lettuce, grated cheddar, and salsa
● Coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey

As Prong Was -- 195 lbs (-34) [4X]

I try to write down anything with calories that I consume on a sticky note, because, well, my memory stinks. Unfortunately, so does my handwriting. Case in point, I wrote down something that is completely illegible and I had no idea what it was when I woke up today. I later remembered 2 other things I ate:

● 3 baby carrots dipped in Jif chocolate silk peanut butter
● A lot of asparagus

My powers of deduction lead me to believe that "As prong was" translates to "asparagus".

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 pretzel M&M's
● 1 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 5.5 oz V-Fusion Light Pomegranate & Blueberry juice
● 4 small bites cookie
● .5 cup Lauders scotch whisky
● 1.5 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● 10.5 oz Market Pantry healthy cream of mushroom soup (straight out of the can)
● 3 slices bacon
● 3-egg omelet w/ cheddar cheese & bacon
● As prong was
● 30 Goldfish crackers
● Bite of Fosters Farm corn dog

Sunday Sermon -- 195 lbs (-34) [3X]

Last week I was involved in a discussion about dieting with work mates when an unfamiliar fellow proudly chimed in that he had lost 16 lbs in 2 months on the green coffee diet. Somebody mentioned that I was on the whisky diet, and after a short laugh, the conversation turned to the more serious, plausible, and exciting green coffee diet. At every turn, the concept of a whisky diet is dismissed as a joke, and yet its roots are firmly entrenched in history and science. It is only at odds with present day society, with its incongruent, displaced obsession of striving to be healthy while being woefully unhealthy.

We live in strange times, when weathermen are still no better at predicting the weather than a Ouija board, when new scientific findings seem to invalidate what was held to be true just yesterday, only to be contradicted again tomorrow, when everyone is offended by anything, and when people are too insecure about their livelihoods to be genuine.

The whisky diet is not a joke. It is a backlash against the falsehoods that modern life holds dear, and it puts the green coffee diet, and its ilk, to shame. There is a deep reason why alcohol has been with us since the beginning, and whisky in particular has fueled countless philosophers, artists, and leaders. Alcohol, like nature in general, is a substance to be controlled and tamed in a civilized manner, in order to reap its benefits, rather than avoided because we can't handle it and don't want others to succeed where we fail.

Diets of the world, go fuck yourselves!

Note: It is a general facet of dieting that anyone successful in a diet will become cocky and condescending--I am no exception in this matter.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey
● .5 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● 50 ml Jack Daniels whiskey
● 3 Nabisco Handi-Snacks cracker & cheese w/ slice of swiss cheese
● .5 cup Monarch of the Glen whisky
● McDonald's chipolte bbq chicken snack wrap
● 12 McDonald's french fries
● 4 oz Swiss Miss Triple Chocolate Dream pudding
● 50 ml Early Times whiskey
● .72 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 6 Fosters Farm turkey meatballs w/ shaved parmesan & cheddar cheese cubes
● 1 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz
● 14 mini pretzels
● Coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey
● 8 pretzel M&M's
● Big slice garlic bread

Closet Scot -- 194 lbs (-35) [2X]

Okay, I don't know jack about Scotch ale*, other than it is my favorite beer by a long shot. I can't help wonder if there is a connection between my love of Scotch whisky and Scotch ale. Am I a closet Scot? Or have I just developed a strong preference for barley over many, many years of drinking? I am thinking the latter.

*My simplistic understanding of Scotch ale that it has a higher barley-to-hop ratio and longer boiling of wort, making it sweeter and higher in alcohol--how could that not be great?

What I consumed yesterday:
● 40 oz Second Sight scotch ale
● 2 slices Flying Saucer Spud'Nik pizza
● 50 ml Jim Beam whiskey
● 50 ml Jim Beam Devils's Cut whiskey
● Spaghetti w/ sauce, 2 meatballs, shaved parmesan, & 2 slices of garlic bread
● .7 cup Wine Cube cabernet/shiraz

Humphrey Bogart -- 193 lbs (-36)

"I should never have switched from Scotch to Martini's"
--Humphrey Bogart

Supposedly these were his last words, but a reputable source claims Bogart said this during a career slump. Not as dramatic, but more believable.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 8 oz Darigold 1% fat chocolate milk
● 40 oz Bud Light
● 11 tortilla chips w/ bean dip & salsa
● Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich w/ half of bun
● .75 small Wendy's french fries
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● .7 cup Wine Cube malbec
● .56 cup Monarch of the Glen whisky
● The rest of the Himitsu Teriyaki chicken (no rice)

192 lbs (-37)

It's just so weird. The days I drink more whisky/whiskey are the days I lose the most weight. I expect some of that is due to water lost to the diuretic affects, but I drink plenty of water. Anyhow, that is probably too much weight to lose in a week, so I'd better eat some lunch or something.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey
● 50 ml Seagrams 7
● .64 cup Evan Williams whiskey (no gnats)
● .8 cup Wine Cube malbec
● 12 oz Archer Farms frozen asparagus stir fry w/ parmesan & swiss cheese
● Piece of Himitsu Teriyaki chicken
● Coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey
● 3 tbsp Monarch of the Glen whisky
● 1.06 oz Kellogg's Special K Cracker Chips (cheddar)

RIP 49 lbs -- 195 lbs (-34) [2X]

I changed my blog title & domain to "Whisky Diet" yesterday, accompanied by the frustration of broken redirects, feeds, etc. I went with "49 lbs" initially because I had no set plan other than to lose 49 pounds in an unconventional manner. I knew alcohol would play a part, but I did not anticipate that I would become so enamored with whisky, and begin to learn and appreciate some of the many differences between whisky and whiskey (more on that later), and the rich part whisky/whiskey has/have played in history (more on *that* later). I love beer, wine, and other liquors, too, and briefly renamed this blog to "The Drinking Man's Diet", but it turns out that was a sexist fad from the 60's (more on *THAT* later). I believe I have already demonstrated in less than 3 months that whisky/whiskey is/are that backbone of my diet, and that I have lost enough weight to call this diet highly successful. I can also claim that this diet has become almost effortless at this point. So, I invite you to join me for the rest of this blog as I explore various ologies of these amazing distilled grains, along with the usual mundane dieting and aging dramas of my everyday life.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● .64 cup Evan Williams whiskey (no gnats)
● 1.4 cup Wine Cube malbec
● 2 cups salad w/ whatever dressing they use in teriyaki restaurants
● Large portion Himitsu Teriyaki chicken/pork/beef w/ small portion rice

195 lbs (-34)

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise;
For if you do but taste his blood,
'Twill make your courage rise.

'Twill make a man forget his woe;
'Twill heighten all his joy;
'Twill make the widow's heart to sing,
Tho' the tear were in her eye.

What I consumed yesterday:
● McDonald's pancake w/ sausage
● .5 McDonald's Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait (no granola)
● 5.5 oz V8 juice
● .49 cup Evan Williams whiskey (a gnat drank the other .1)
● .9 cup Wine Cube malbec
● 10 Papa John's Honey Chipotle Wings w/ blue cheese dressing
● 2 Papa John's cheese pizza slices w/ 1 pepperoncini

194 lbs (-35)

(Note: System voided last night.)

I did my monthly Total Wine run over the weekend, with the goal of "splurging" on a bottle of Johnnie Walker. I recently read that Johnnie has over 20% global scotch market share, versus less than 10% for the next runner up, which I find fascinating. A Total Wine "expert" honed in on me selecting a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label, for over $20 (before exorbitant WA taxes and fees), and suggested that I try Monarch of the Glen, which tasted the same based on his taste test, for just under $10. Under this connoisseur’s glare, and my cheapskate's disposition, I could not help but to take his advice--however, I compromised by upgrading to the 8-year version selling at $14. I plan to do a taste test of my own next time, comparing Johnnie Walker Red Label with Monarch of the Glen 3 & 12yr, which will be a complete waste of time for my untrained palate, but a fun way to lose some more weight.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 1.5 cups Monarch of the Glen 8yr scotch whisky
● .5 cup V-Fusion Light Pomegranate & Blueberry juice
● 1 oz shaved parmesan cheese
● 3 big bites Jade Dragon bbq pork fried rice
● .75 cup Wine Cube malbec
● 1.5 3-egg omelet w/ cheddar cheese
● 16 asparagus
● .33 Fosters Farm corn dog

196 lbs (-33) [2X]

Boo. Hiss. Chocolate. French fries. Candy corn. Potato chips. Should have been a bloody massacre, diet-wise, but instead I lost weight--how can that be?!? I have one hypothesis that is just plain crazy--barley whisky (as opposed to corn whiskey) actually burns calories. More on that later.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 7 oz V-Fusion Light Pomegranate & Blueberry juice
● Chunk of Yorkie chocolate bar
● Chocolate coin
● 8 McDonald's french fries
● 4 Branch's assorted candy corns
● .24 Monarch of the Glen 8yr scotch whisky
● .22 Evan Williams bourbon whiskey
● 1.6 cups Wine Cube malbec (hmm, tastes pretty much like the cab)
● Full order Jade Dragon assorted vegetables & chicken (no rice)
● 36 cheddar & sour cream Ruffles (only broken ones, though)
● Apple slice w/ chocolate Magic Shell
● Fortune cookie w/ chocolate Magic Shell

197 lbs (-32) [3X]

In my typical classy style, I am downgrading from my $8/750 ml bottled wine to $6/750 ml box wine. The Wine Cube cab (exclusively at Target!) tastes good to me, but I'm going to sample the other reds before settling in. Might be fun to have a Night Train or Boones Day at some point, if I can find some.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 16 oz Bud Light
● .52 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 1 cups Wine Cube cabernet
● .6 Boboli pizza w/ 4 turkey meatballs
● .75 Kraft string cheese
● 12 oz Archer Farms frozen broccoli

196 lbs (-33)

I thought this diet would help my hems, but I'm sad to report that it hasn't.



What I consumed yesterday:
● Small plate shredded pork/chicken/lettuce w/ grilled peppers & salsa
● 16 oz Bud Light
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 1.3 cups Wine Cube cabernet
● .25 MOD calexico pizza w/ 3 turkey meatballs
● 16 tiny carrots

197 lbs (-32) [2X]

Managed to survive breakfast, lunch, and pizza dinner with no net change. Onward!

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 egg whites w/ 2 turkey bacon slices
● Big bite of pancake w/ syrup
● 2 spoonful's of yogurt
● 8 asparagus
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 1.6 cups Wine Cube cabernet
● .75 MOD calexico pizza
● .75 slice MOD maddy pizza

197 lbs (-32)

Always feels good to hit a new low, especially after publicly loitering around the same spot for a week.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 16 oz Bud Light
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● 1.4 cups Wine Cube cabernet
● Spaghetti w/ sauce, 2 meatballs, shredded parmesan, & slice of garlic bread

198 lbs (-31) [5X]

Almost a perfect diet day, except for the fried rice part of the bbq pork fried rice.

What I consumed yesterday:
● Trader Joes No Iron Multivitamin
● 16 oz Bud Light
● .32 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● .75 order Jade Dragon bbq pork fried rice
● .8 cup Wine Cube cabernet
● .7 cup Columbia Crest Amitage red wine

199 lbs (-30) [3X]

I avoided the unicorn ice cream cake, but not much else. My daughter is in a phase where every scrap of food must be saved, even if she doesn't like it, so our frig is filling up with partially-eaten kid fare. I couldn't resist being a human garbage pail (as my father used to say) for what will likely get thrown away.

What I consumed yesterday:
● 5 pretzel M&M's
● ~12 small cheddar cubes
● Starbucks Americano w/ 4 tbsp whiskey
● .33 cup Evan Williams whiskey
● Taco-seasoned ground beef w/ 10 oz Ro*tel diced tomatoes & green chilies (mild)
● 2.3 cups Columbia Crest Amitage red wine
● .75 Target hot dog on Dairy Queen buttered toast
● 12 spoonful’s of Dairy Queen cookie dough Blizzard w/ chocolate ice cream
● Dairy Queen chicken tender w/ bbq sauce
● 30 pretzel M&M's (I'm surprised this didn't push me over)